Dimorphic flowers modify the visitation order of pollinators from male to female flowers.

ABSTRACT: Sexual dimorphism is a pervasive form of variation within species. Understanding how and why sexual dimorphism evolves would contribute to elucidating the mechanisms underlying the diversification of traits. In flowering plants, pollinators are considered a driver of sexual dimorphism when they affect female and male plant fitness in distinct ways. Here, we found that flowers appear to manipulate the behavior of pollinators using sexually dimorphic traits in the dioecious tree Eurya japonica. In this plant, female flowers present a higher-quality reward for pollinators, whereas male flowers have a more conspicuous appearance. Plants benefit by inducing pollinators to carry pollen from male to female flowers, and their sexual dimorphism might thus facilitate pollen movement through pollinat

SUBMITTER: Tsuji K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7305190 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature