Do annual and perennial populations of an insect-pollinated plant species differ in mating system?

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Theory predicts that outcrossing should be more prevalent among perennials than annuals, a pattern confirmed by comparative evidence from diverse angiosperm families. However, intraspecific comparisons between annual and perennial populations are few because such variation is uncommon among flowering plants. Here, we test the hypothesis that perennial populations outcross more than annual populations by investigating Incarvillea sinensis, a wide-ranging insect-pollinated herb native to China. The occurrence of both allopatric and sympatric populations allows us to examine the stability of mating system differences between life histories under varying ecological conditions.

Methods

We estimated outcrossing rates and biparental inbreeding in 16 allopatric a

SUBMITTER: Ma Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8225283 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature