Identification of major quantitative trait loci underlying floral pollination syndrome divergence in Penstemon.

ABSTRACT: Distinct floral pollination syndromes have emerged multiple times during the diversification of flowering plants. For example, in western North America, a hummingbird pollination syndrome has evolved more than 100 times, generally from within insect-pollinated lineages. The hummingbird syndrome is characterized by a suite of floral traits that attracts and facilitates pollen movement by hummingbirds, while at the same time discourages bee visitation. These floral traits generally include large nectar volume, red flower colour, elongated and narrow corolla tubes and reproductive organs that are exerted from the corolla. A handful of studies have examined the genetic architecture of hummingbird pollination syndrome evolution. These studies find that mutations of relatively large effect often

SUBMITTER: Wessinger CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4071523 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature