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Why are all colour combinations not equally represented as flower-colour polymorphisms?
John Warren1, Sally Mackenzie2,3
1Institute of Rural Studies, Llanbadarn Fawr , University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3AL, UK.
The New Phytologist
|April 20, 2021
Summary
Anthocyanin flower color variation in plants may be maintained by environmental stress. Pigmented plants thrive in drought, while unpigmented ones prefer wet conditions, suggesting selection for varied pigmentation.
Area of Science:
- Plant biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Flower color polymorphism is common in British flora, particularly in species with pink, purple, or blue anthocyanin pigments.
- The maintenance of these anthocyanin-based polymorphisms is hypothesized to be linked to environmental heterogeneity and stress tolerance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that anthocyanin pigmentation variation in plants is maintained by selection pressures related to environmental heterogeneity and stress tolerance.
- To investigate the role of anthocyanin pigmentation in plant performance under varying water availability.
Main Methods:
- Observations of stem pigmentation, shoot dry mass, and seed production were conducted on five polymorphic plant species.
- Plants were subjected to two treatments: droughted conditions and well-watered conditions.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in fitness (shoot dry mass, seed production) were observed between morphs across both treatments.
- A significant interaction between morph and treatment indicated that pigmented plants performed better under drought, while unpigmented plants performed better under well-watered conditions.
Conclusions:
- Anthocyanin-based flower-color polymorphisms can be viewed as a broader polymorphism for the presence or absence of anthocyanin pigmentation throughout the plant.
- Environmental heterogeneity, particularly drought stress, may play a crucial role in maintaining these pigmentation polymorphisms in plant populations.
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