Respiration and heat production by the inflorescence of Philodendron selloum Koch.

During a 2-d sequence of anthesis, the spadices of the thermogenic arum lily, Philodendron selloum, regulated maximum temperature within a small range (37-44°C) by reversible thermal inhibition of respiratory heat production. This response protects the inflorescence and the attracted insects from thermal damage. Heat production by whole spadices, measured by O2 respirometry, equalled heat loss, measured by gradient layer calorimetry, which confirmed the heat equivalence of O2 consumption (20.4 J ml(-1)). This also indicated that there was no net phosphorylation during thermogenesis, heat production being the primary function of high rates of respiration. The sterile male florets consumed about 30 ml g(-1) h(-1) and the average 124-g spadix produced about 7 W to maintain a 30°C difference between spadix and ambient temperature. Most of the energy for thermogenesis is present in the florets before anthesis. Despite high respiratory rates, thermogenesis is an energetically inexpensive component of the reproductive process.