Evidence for asymmetrical hybridization despite pre- and post-pollination reproductive barriers between two Silene species.

ABSTRACT: Interspecific hybridization is widespread among plants; nevertheless, pre- and post-zygotic isolating mechanisms may maintain species integrity for interfertile species in sympatry despite some gene flow. Interspecific hybridization and potential isolating barriers were evaluated between co-flowering Silene asclepiadea and Silene yunnanensis in an alpine community in southwest China. We investigated morphological and molecular (nuclear microsatellites and chloroplast gene sequence) variation in sympatric populations of S. asclepiadea and S. yunnanensis. Additionally, we analyzed pollinator behaviour and compared reproductive success between the putative hybrids and their parental species. Both the molecular and morphological data indicate that there were putative natural hybrids in the fie

SUBMITTER: Zhang JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4940505 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature