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Variation in floral longevity in the genus Leptosiphon: mating system consequences
1Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, CA, USA. jjweber@uci.edu
Plant Biology (Stuttgart, Germany)
|May 22, 2012
Summary
Pollination triggers flower aging (senescence), impacting plant mating systems. Flower longevity in Leptosiphon species correlates with their breeding system, influencing reproductive success and evolution.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Ecology
Background:
- Pollination and fertilization are known triggers of floral senescence across many plant species.
- The evolutionary implications of pollination-induced floral senescence on mating systems remain understudied.
- The genus Leptosiphon presents diverse breeding systems, making it an ideal model for studying mating system evolution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of pollination on floral senescence within the genus Leptosiphon.
- To explore the relationship between floral longevity, pollination, and mating system evolution in Leptosiphon species.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study of floral senescence across different Leptosiphon species with varying breeding systems.
- Experimental manipulation involving emasculation and hand-outcrossing to assess pollination effects on flower longevity.
- Observation of unmanipulated flowers to evaluate the impact of autonomous self-pollination.
Main Results:
- Compatible pollination consistently induced floral senescence in all studied Leptosiphon species.
- Emasculated flowers exhibited significantly longer longevity than hand-outcrossed flowers.
- In self-compatible species and a highly selfing population, autonomous self-pollination reduced floral longevity, suggesting a link between self-pollination and senescence.
Conclusions:
- Limited floral longevity in selfing taxa may decrease opportunities for outcross fertilization, potentially driving selection on mating systems.
- Mating systems can influence selection on floral longevity; outcrossing species may favor longer longevity, while selfing species might benefit from earlier senescence.
- Floral longevity plays a significant, yet largely unexamined, role in the evolution of plant mating systems.
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