Effect of Manipulating Flowers In Situ on Sexual Reproduction of Cyrtopodium macrobulbon (La llave & Lex.) Romero-González (Orchidaceae) in Tamaulipas, México

Species of the Orchidaceae family, as floristic members of the ecosystems they inhabit, are of great importance. However, many of them have been categorized as at risk because of the low rate of seed production. For this reason, knowledge of the biology of pollination of species at risk is vital for their conservation. Studies conducted in this area are scarce; thus, the objective of this research was to determine the mechanism of pollination for reproductive success in a wild population of Cyrtopodium macrobulbon La Llave & Lex. The study was conducted in the ejido Gallos Grandes, Tula, Tamaulipas, Mexico. We selected 23 Cyrtopodium macrobulbon individuals in the flowering stage and described the morphology of the flowers and inflorescences, as well as the adult individuals. To determine their mechanisms of pollination, five treatments were set up. The fruits produced by everyone were collected and we obtained their fructification percentage and seed mass. The data were analyzed using SAS 9.0. The percentage of fructification was higher in the control treatment, while the seed mass was significantly higher in the treatment of cross pollination. This study determined effective pollination mechanisms that guarantee reproductive success and that can be considered in conservation plans for the species C. macrobulbon.