Intraspecific divergence and convergence of floral tube length in specialized pollination interactions.

ABSTRACT: Floral tubes are often thought to be a consequence of adaptive specialization towards pollinator morphology. We explore floral tube length evolution within Tritoniopsis revoluta (Iridaceae), a species with considerable geographical tube length variation. We ask whether tube lengths of T. revoluta populations are associated with pollinator proboscis lengths, whether floral divergence occurs in the presence of different pollinators and whether floral convergence occurs between distantly related populations pollinated by the same pollinator. Finally, we ask whether tube length evolution is directional. Shifts between morphologically different pollinators were always associated with shifts in floral morphology, even when populations were very closely related. Distantly related populations had

SUBMITTER: Anderson B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4213615 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature