Format: ORAL

Suchandra R. Dutta, Hensal S. Rodrigues, Kiran G. Chakral

Department of Botany, R. D. & S. H. National College & S. W. A. Science College, Bandra (West), Mumbai, India

Dipcadi Medik. (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae), comprises of 44 species distributed in Africa, S. Europe up to Indian Subcontinent. In India, the genus is represented by 13 species and 2 varieties. The genus is characterised by bulbous geophyte plants, bearing long linear flat or channelled leaves, white-green-brick red tubular-campanulate flowers, emitting sweet-foul odour, some odourless. Initially, pollination in Hyacinthaceae (now Scilloideae) was known by bees, birds, butterflies, moths and rodents. Studies of pollination biology on members from Tribe Dipcadieae Speta ex J.C. Manning Goldblatt, had not been undertaken until Manning et al. brought forth the pollination of Dipcadi brevifolium (Thunb.) Fourc. by owlet moth Cornutiplusia circumflexa (L., 1767) Syn: Syngrapha circumflexa (L.) (Noctuidae) from Africa. Scientific study on Pollination of Indian Dipcadi is carried out by the authors in Mumbai suburban districts, Maharashtra, India during the flowering season from June-August for a period of 2 years from 2020 to 2022. Our work deals with pollination of Dipcadi saxorum. The flowers are nocturnal, producing scent and nectar at nightfall which extends up till morning attracting many visitors. The study concludes that the species is self-incompatible, and that the foul-acrid odour it produces is majorly because of aldehydes and esters. Settling moths, Heliothus peltigera, Chrysodexis acuta and hovering moths, Macroglossum stellatarum and Cephanodes hylas are the pollinators of D. saxorum.