Autonomous Selfing Provides Reproductive Assurance in an Alpine Ginger Roscoea schneideriana (Zingiberaceae)

Reproductive assurance, the ability to produce seeds when pollinators or mates are scarce, is thought to be the major advantage of selfing in flowering plants. However, few studies have performed a direct cost-benefit analysis of the selective advantage of selfing, particularly given a long-term perspective among populations or across several flowering seasons within population. This study examined the fertility consequences of autonomous selfing in Roscoea schneideriana (Zingiberaceae), a small perennial Himalayan ginger typically found in habitats at around 3000 m a.s.l.