Elevational and temporal patterns of pollination success in distylous and homostylous buckwheats (Fagopyrum) in the Hengduan Mountains.

ABSTRACT: Reproductive strategies of sexually dimorphic plants vary in response to the environment. Here, we ask whether the sexual systems of Fagopyrum species (i.e., selfing homostylous and out-crossing distylous) represent distinct adaptive strategies to increase reproductive success in changing alpine environments. To answer this question, we determined how spatial and temporal factors (e.g., elevation and peak flowering time) affect reproductive success (i.e., stigmatic pollen load) in nine wild Fagopyrum species (seven distylous and two homostylous) among 28 populations along an elevation gradient of 1299-3315 m in the Hengduan Mountains, southwestern China. We also observed pollinators and conducted hundreds of hand pollinations to investigate inter/intra-morph compatibility, se

SUBMITTER: Wu LY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11403118 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature