Evolution towards minimum ovule size? Ovule size variations and the relative sizes of ovules to seeds.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Is there selection minimizing the costs of ovule production? Such selection should lead to a smaller ovule size in relation to seed size and, at the same time, smaller variation in ovule size within plants, the latter because the minimum structures and resources for functioning of ovules should be the same among ovules. Additionally, within species, ovule size should not depend on the plant's resource status. METHODS:To confirm these predictions, we examined ovule and seed production for a variety of species. KEY RESULTS:Among the 27 species studied, we found a significant negative dependence of the species mean of the coefficient of variation for plant ovule size on the ratio of the mean species seed size/mean species ovule size. Thus, the smaller the ovule size as com

SUBMITTER: Itagaki T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6612939 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature