Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant
Background and Aims It has been proposed that variation in pollinator preferences or a fluctuating environment can act to maintain flower colour polymorphism. These two hypotheses were tested in an aquatic monocot Butomus umbellatus (Butomaceae) with a pink or white gynoecium in the field population...
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fthighwire:oai:open-archive.highwire.org:annbot:106/5/843 2023-05-15T15:47:34+02:00 Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant Tang, Xiao-Xin Huang, Shuang-Quan 2010-11-01 00:00:00.0 text/html http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/106/5/843 https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq172 en eng Oxford University Press http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/106/5/843 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq172 Copyright (C) 2010, Oxford University Press SHORT COMMUNICATION TEXT 2010 fthighwire https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq172 2016-11-16T19:00:34Z Background and Aims It has been proposed that variation in pollinator preferences or a fluctuating environment can act to maintain flower colour polymorphism. These two hypotheses were tested in an aquatic monocot Butomus umbellatus (Butomaceae) with a pink or white gynoecium in the field population. Methods Pollinator visitation was compared in experimental arrays of equivalent flowering cymes from both colour morphs. Seed set was compared between inter- and intramorph pollination under different water levels to test the effect of fluctuating environment on seed fertility. Key Results Overall, the major pollinator groups did not discriminate between colour morphs. Compared with the white morph, seed production in the pink morph under intermorph, intramorph and open pollination treatments was significantly higher when the water level was low but not when it was high. Precipitation in July was correlated with yearly seed production in the pink morph but not in the white morph. Conclusions The results indicated that the two colour morphs differed in their tolerance to water level. Our study on this aquatic plant provides additional evidence to support the hypothesis that flower colour polymorphism can be preserved by environmental heterogeneity. Text Butomus umbellatus HighWire Press (Stanford University) Annals of Botany 106 5 843 848 |
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English |
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SHORT COMMUNICATION |
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SHORT COMMUNICATION Tang, Xiao-Xin Huang, Shuang-Quan Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant |
topic_facet |
SHORT COMMUNICATION |
description |
Background and Aims It has been proposed that variation in pollinator preferences or a fluctuating environment can act to maintain flower colour polymorphism. These two hypotheses were tested in an aquatic monocot Butomus umbellatus (Butomaceae) with a pink or white gynoecium in the field population. Methods Pollinator visitation was compared in experimental arrays of equivalent flowering cymes from both colour morphs. Seed set was compared between inter- and intramorph pollination under different water levels to test the effect of fluctuating environment on seed fertility. Key Results Overall, the major pollinator groups did not discriminate between colour morphs. Compared with the white morph, seed production in the pink morph under intermorph, intramorph and open pollination treatments was significantly higher when the water level was low but not when it was high. Precipitation in July was correlated with yearly seed production in the pink morph but not in the white morph. Conclusions The results indicated that the two colour morphs differed in their tolerance to water level. Our study on this aquatic plant provides additional evidence to support the hypothesis that flower colour polymorphism can be preserved by environmental heterogeneity. |
format |
Text |
author |
Tang, Xiao-Xin Huang, Shuang-Quan |
author_facet |
Tang, Xiao-Xin Huang, Shuang-Quan |
author_sort |
Tang, Xiao-Xin |
title |
Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant |
title_short |
Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant |
title_full |
Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant |
title_fullStr |
Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant |
title_full_unstemmed |
Fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant |
title_sort |
fluctuating selection by water level on gynoecium colour polymorphism in an aquatic plant |
publisher |
Oxford University Press |
publishDate |
2010 |
url |
http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/106/5/843 https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq172 |
genre |
Butomus umbellatus |
genre_facet |
Butomus umbellatus |
op_relation |
http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/106/5/843 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq172 |
op_rights |
Copyright (C) 2010, Oxford University Press |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcq172 |
container_title |
Annals of Botany |
container_volume |
106 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
843 |
op_container_end_page |
848 |
_version_ |
1766382464246218752 |