The influence of floral symmetry, dependence on pollinators and pollination generalization on flower size variation.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The pollinator-mediated stabilizing selection hypothesis suggests that the specialized pollination system of zygomorphic flowers might cause stabilizing selection, reducing their flower size variation compared with actinomorphic flowers. However, the degree of ecological generalization and of dependence on pollinators varies greatly among species of both flower symmetry types and this may also affect flower size variation.

Methods

Data on 43 species from two contrasting communities (one alpine and one lowland community) were used to test the relationships and interactions between flower size phenotypic variation, floral symmetry, ecological pollination generalization and species' dependence on pollinators.

Key results

Contrary to what was expected,

SUBMITTER: Lazaro A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4071101 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature