The ecology of amphicarpic plants

Amphicarpic plants, which produce both aerial and subterranean flowers and seeds, provide evolutionary ecologists with insight into the evolution of breeding systems involving self-fertilization, seed dimorphisms and multiple dispersal strategies. The subterranean flowers of amphicarpic species do not open, are self-fertile, and produce large seeds with a limited dispersal potential. In contrast, the aerial flowers usually open, can cross-pollinate, and produce smaller seeds with a greater potential for long-distance dispersal. The eco-genetic consequences of this reproductive system are a function of these common features of amphicarpic species, and must be considered in an ecological context when attempting to determine the selective basis of subterranean fruit and seed production.