Research Paper
Phylogeny determines flower size-dependent sex allocation at flowering in a hermaphroditic family
A. L. Teixido,
B. Guzmán,
V.G. Staggemeier,
F. Valladares,
Corresponding Author
A. L. Teixido
Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Móstoles, Spain
Correspondence
A. L. Teixido, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorV.G. Staggemeier
Department of Botany, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Phenology Lab, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorF. Valladares
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
Search for more papers by this author
A. L. Teixido,
B. Guzmán,
V.G. Staggemeier,
F. Valladares,
Corresponding Author
A. L. Teixido
Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Móstoles, Spain
Correspondence
A. L. Teixido, Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorV.G. Staggemeier
Department of Botany, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Biosciences, Phenology Lab, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
Search for more papers by this authorF. Valladares
Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, MNCN-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
- In animal-pollinated hermaphroditic plants, optimal floral allocation determines relative investment into sexes, which is ultimately dependent on flower size. Larger flowers disproportionally increase maleness whereas smaller and less rewarding flowers favour female function. Although floral traits are considered strongly conserved, phylogenetic relationships in the interspecific patterns of resource allocation to floral sex remain overlooked. We investigated these patterns in Cistaceae, a hermaphroditic family.
- We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships among Cistaceae species and quantified phylogenetic signal for flower size, dry mass and nutrient allocation to floral structures in 23 Mediterranean species using Blomberg's K-statistic. Lastly, phylogenetically-controlled correlational and regression analyses were applied to examine flower size-based allometry in resource allocation to floral structures.
- Sepals received the highest dry mass allocation, followed by petals, whereas sexual structures increased nutrient allocation. Flower size and resource allocation to floral structures, except for carpels, showed a strong phylogenetic signal. Larger-flowered species allometrically allocated more resources to maleness, by increasing allocation to corollas and stamens.
- Our results suggest a major role of phylogeny in determining interspecific changes in flower size and subsequent floral sex allocation. This implies that flower size balances the male–female function over the evolutionary history of Cistaceae. While allometric resource investment in maleness is inherited across species diversification, allocation to the female function seems a labile trait that varies among closely related species that have diversified into different ecological niches.
Supporting Information
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| plb12604-sup-0001-Supinfo.docWord document, 1.5 MB | Table S1. Growth form, location, climate data and mean flower size (diameter: cm ± SD; area: cm2 ± SD; N = 15 for all species) of the 23 species of Cistaceae used in the study. Compatibility systems for some species are also shown from the literature. Climate column also shows annual mean rainfall (mm) and annual mean temperature (°C) (Ninyerola et al. 2005, N = 20 years). Life form follows Arrington & Kubitzki (2003). Table S2. Mean ± SD (%) resource allocation to floral structures in the 23 studied species of Cistaceae in terms of dry mass, N and P. Concentrations are given in mmol g−1 dry mass. Total sample number for nutrient analyses (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 tubes used in digestions with sulphuric acid). Table S3. Details of fossil and secondary calibration points used in the Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of Cistaceae divergence. Table S4. GenBank accession number of rcbL gene and trnL-trnF spacer sequences and voucher for 45 Cistaceae species plus Hopea hainensis and Monotes madagascariensis (Dipterocarpaceae) as outgroup. Table S5. Pearson correlation coefficients between PIC values of the percentage resource allocation to floral structures in terms of dry mass, N and P in Cistaceae (N = 22 nodes in all cases). Figure S1. Flowers and individuals of the largest-flowered (A – Cistus ladanifer) and one of the smallest-flowered (B - Tuberaria guttata) species used in this study. Some individuals of these species show dark-coloured spots on their flowers. A large bee fly (Bombylidae) visiting C. ladanifer flower (bottom left). |
Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.
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