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Relationship between Flower Number and Reproductive Success of a Spring Ephemeral Herb, Anemone flaccida (Ranunculaceae)
Author(s) -
NISHIKAWA YOKO,
KUDO GAKU
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
plant species biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1442-1984
pISSN - 0913-557X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-1984.1995.tb00129.x
Subject(s) - biology , anthesis , ranunculaceae , anemone , phenology , gynoecium , pollinator , pollination , botany , petal , stamen , flor , ovule , pollen , cultivar
Flowering phenology and reproductive traits of Anemone flaccida were compared between ramets having one, two, and three flowers. We evaluated the flowering pattern and the reproductive function of each flower within a ramet and discussed the ecological significance of flower number. Early‐blooming flowers had larger numbers of pistils and stamens, higher seed‐set, and heavier seeds than the later‐blooming flowers within a ramet under natural conditions. These differences remained after flowers were hand‐pollinated. When one flower was removed from a ramet with two flowers, seed‐set and seed weight of the remaining flower did not increase. Because flowering occurs sequentially within a ramet, anthesis per ramet was extended with flower number. Production of the second and the third flowers was considered for plants to reduce entire failure in setting seeds under the condition of unpredictable pollinator activity. However, it was thought that having more than three flowers makes it hard to complete the life‐cycle during the growing season (mid‐April to early June).