Fitness of an allopolyploid rupicolous fern compared with its diploid progenitors: from sporogenesis to sporophyte formation

Premise When two populations of related cytotypes grow in sympatry, the rarer cytotype tends to be excluded due to a frequency‐dependent mating disadvantage. Evolutionary models predict that polyploids, which are typically the rarer cytotype upon first formation, should have higher relative fitness and/or higher selfing rates to establish and then coexist with diploid parents. Methods Performance during early recruitment was compared among three co‐occurring rupicolous fern species: the allotetraploid Cheilanthes tinaei and its diploid ancestors, C. hispanica and C. maderensis . In culture experiments, fresh spores and samples of soil spore banks were tested for variation among cytotypes in germination, survival, fecundity, and mating system of gametophytes. Results Compared with its diploid parents, C. tinaei fresh spores had higher abortion percentages, lower dispersal ability as a result of its larger spores, and similar vigor at germination. For gametophytes from soil spore banks, C. tinaei had high survival similar to C. maderensis , but its sex expression resembled that of C. hispanica , with a high proportion of males. Patterns of sporophyte formation by females and bisexuals indicate that the polyploid does not have an increased gametophytic selfing rate. Gametophytes were larger in C. tinaei , but its reproductive success (sporophyte formation) was intermediate relative to diploids. Conclusions Our results show no evidence of higher selfing or fitness advantage of the allopolyploid over both diploid parents at any stage of early recruitment. These two unexpected findings suggest that further factors, such as niche differentiation, play a more important role in cytotype coexistence.