Architectural constraints, male fertility variation and biased floral morph ratios in tristylous populations.

ABSTRACT: Tristyly is a genetic polymorphism in which populations are comprised of three floral morphs (mating types) differing reciprocally in sex-organ height. Intermorph (disassortative) mating governed by a trimorphic incompatibility system should result in 1:1:1 morph ratios at equilibrium, but both deterministic and stochastic processes can cause skewed morph ratios in tristylous populations. Here, we investigate mechanisms causing morph-ratio bias in Pontederia parviflora, an emergent aquatic native to tropical America. We compared reproductive traits among morphs and surveyed 71 populations to determine patterns of morph-ratio bias. We then used simulation models of morph-frequency dynamics to test the hypothesis that morph-specific differences in pollen production and their influence on mal

SUBMITTER: da Cunha NL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6972727 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature