Continuous variation in herkogamy enhances the reproductive response of Lonicera implexa to spatial variation in pollinator assemblages.

ABSTRACT: Herkogamy, the spatial separation of sex organs in hermaphroditic plants, has been proposed as a mechanism to reduce self-pollination and the associated processes of inbreeding and gamete wastage. Longitudinal herkogamy is the most frequent type, with two subtypes: approach herkogamy (anthers below the stigma), which is associated with diverse pollinator arrays, and reverse herkogamy (anthers above the stigma), associated with specialized, long-tongued pollinators. By using a herkogamy index that varied continuously from negative (reverse herkogamy) to positive (approach herkogamy) values, we studied the effect of continuous variation in herkogamy on pollinator attraction, selfing capability and plant fitness across three populations of Lonicera implexa differing in the relative abundance

SUBMITTER: Lazaro A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6969618 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature