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AUTOGAMY AND INBREEDING DEPRESSION IN MOUNTAIN LAUREL, KALMIA LATIFOLIA (ERICACEAE)
Author(s) -
Rathcke Beverly,
Real Leslie
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1993.tb13781.x
Subject(s) - inbreeding depression , biology , pollinator , pollination , population , bumblebee , inbreeding , ecology , reproductive success , hand pollination , ericaceae , pollen , demography , sociology
We compared breeding systems, inbreeding depression, and pollination limitation between two populations of Kalmia latifolia in Virginia and Rhode Island. Plants were autogamous in Virginia but not Rhode Island. Although autogamy with selling is hypothesized to reduce levels of inbreeding depression, both populations showed similarly high inbreeding depression manifested as reduced fruit set. Autogamy may be uncorrelated with selling rate because autogamy is not obligate and because geitonogamy is likely. Autogamy in the Virginia population seems most likely to have evolved for reproductive assurance under competition for pollinator service. Fruit set was pollination limited in the Virginia population apparently because bumblebee pollinators were more attracted to a coflowering species, Vaccinium erythrocarpum .