New insights into floral morph variation in Passiflora incarnata L. (Passifloraceae) in Tennessee, U.S.A.

Passiflora incarnata is a functionally andromonoecious clonal wildflower, native to the southeastern United States, whose primary pollinator is the carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica. While recent studies looking at reproductive ecology in P. incarnata have classified flowers as one of two morphs (male or hermaphroditic) based on stylar deflexion, preliminary field studies conducted in Tennessee indicated there were five distinct morphs present (three male, two hermaphroditic), supported by stylar deflexion, floral size, and pistil development. The present study sought to test the hypothesis that five distinct floral morphs are present in P. incarnata by sampling 13 floral characters, and to document variation in nectar constituents, volume, and concentration across the five morphs. Five well-established individual plants were examined at three sites in Cookeville, Tennessee. Two-factor permuted analysis of variance of 13 floral characteristics with floral morph and individual plants as ...