Pollination niche availability facilitates colonization of Guettarda speciosa with heteromorphic self-incompatibility on oceanic islands.

ABSTRACT: Obligate out-breeding plants are considered relatively disadvantageous comparing with self-breeding plants when colonizing oceanic islets following long-distance dispersal owing to mate and pollinator limitation. The rarity of heterostyly, a typical out-breeding system, on oceanic islands seems a good proof. However, a heterostylous plant, Guettarda speciosa, is widely distributed on most tropical oceanic islets. Our research demonstrates that its heteromorphic self-incompatibility, plus herkogamy and long flower tube make it rely on pollinator for sexual reproduction, which is generally considered "disadvantageous" for island colonization. We hypothesize that available pollination niche will be a key factor for its colonization on islands. Our studies on remote coral islands show that G.

SUBMITTER: Xu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6137094 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature