Evol Ecol Res 4: 1217-1227 (2002)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

The evolution of flower allometry in selfing species

Atushi Ushimaru1* and Kensuke Nakata2

1Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Kamitanokami, Otsu 520-2113 and 2General Education Center, Faculty of Engineering, Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science, Abamachi 536, Nagasaki 851-0193, Japan

Address all correspondence to Atushi Ushimaru, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, 335 Takashima-cho, Kyoto 602-0878, Japan.
e-mail: ushimaru@chikyu.ac.jp

ABSTRACT

Allometric relationships of floral organs were compared in related outcrossing (herkogamous) and selfing (autonomously self-pollinated) species in the genera Mazus and Hosta to determine how floral traits have evolved under selection favouring autonomous self-pollination. Autogamous Scutellaria dependens was also examined. We measured several floral traits in the five species. Selfing species had a steeper slope of the log–log regression and correlation coefficient for the filament–stigma height relationship than related outcrossing species. In three selfing species, the filament–stigma correlation was stronger than the petal–filament and petal–stigma correlations. Outcrossing species had weaker filament–stigma correlations than the other correlations. These findings suggest that, in selfing species, the placement of the stigma close to the anthers has evolved under selection favouring autogamy and that filament–stigma correlations might have evolved together with mating-system evolution in flowering plants.

Keywords: comparative study, filament–stigma correlation, flower allometry, outcrossing, selfing.

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