Abiotic Environment Predicts Micro- but Not Macroevolutionary Patterns of Flower Color in Monkeyflowers (Phrymaceae).

ABSTRACT: Anthocyanin pigments are responsible for many of the vivid pink, purple, red, and blue flower colors across angiosperms and frequently vary within and between closely related species. While anthocyanins are well known to influence pollinator attraction, they are also associated with tolerance to abiotic stressors such as extreme temperatures, reduced precipitation, and ultraviolet radiation. Using a comparative approach, we tested whether abiotic variables predict floral anthocyanin in monkeyflowers (Phrymaceae) across western North America. Within two polymorphic species, we found that abiotic variables predicted flower color across their geographic ranges. In Erythranthe discolor, the frequency of pink flowered (anthocyanin producing) individuals was greater in populations with re

SUBMITTER: Grossenbacher D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8030662 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature