Título:	Functional herkogamy and pollination biology in Passiflora cincinnata Mast.
Autoria:	NERY, L. P. C. SANTOS, T. C. dos RIBEIRO, J. M. MELO, N. F. de
Afiliação:	LUCAS PEIXINHO CAMPOS NERY, UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO VALE DO SÃO FRANCISCO; TATIANE CEZÁRIO DOS SANTOS, UNIVERSIDADE ESTADUAL DE FEIRA DE SANTANA; JULIANA MARTINS RIBEIRO, CPATSA; NATONIEL FRANKLIN DE MELO, CPATSA.
Ano de publicação:	2026
Referência:	Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens, v. 7, n. 1, 2026.
Conteúdo:	Fruit production in passionfruit species is primarily associated with cross-pollination, but the role of herkogamy, the spatial separation between stigmas and anthers, in reproductive success remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the influence of style deflexion on fruit set in Passiflora cincinnata Mast., a native species of the Brazilian Caatinga, using accessions conserved in a Passionfruit Germplasm Bank (BAG). Flowers were classified into three morphotypes: stigmas positioned below the anthers, stigmas aligned with the anthers, and stigmas positioned above the anthers. Pollen viability was evaluated using subsamples of randomly selected flowers within each floral morphotype. Across all accessions, 41.75% of flowers displayed stigma below the anthers, 26.32% exhibited aligned the stigma with the anthers, and 31.93% had stigma positioned above, with pollen viability consistently high (96.4–96.7%). Flowers in which stigmas were located below the anthers (negative deflexion) showed the highest fruit set under hand pollination (73.3%), whereas flowers with aligned or elevated stigmas produced only a few fruits (4.7%) in heterotypic crosses. These findings demonstrated that herkogamy strongly shapes reproductive outcomes in P. cincinnata. Integrating this knowledge into germplasm management, conservation, and breeding initiatives will be essential for improving passionfruit cultivation and promoting sustainable agricultural practices in semiarid ecosystems.
Thesagro:	Recurso Genético Maracujá Polinização Caatinga Melhoramento Genético Vegetal
Palavras-chave:	Passiflora cincinnata Hercogamia Deflexão do estilete Bioma Caatinga Banco de germoplasma de maracujá
Digital Object Identifier:	https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg7010002
Tipo do material:	Artigo de periódico
Acesso:	openAccess
Aparece nas coleções:	Artigo em periódico indexado (CPATSA)