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A rare continual flowering strategy and its influence on offspring quality in a gynodioecious plant
Author(s) -
Wolfe Lorne M.,
Burns Janet L.
Publication year - 2001
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 - 10.2307/3558448
Subject(s) - biology , shrub , reproduction , annual plant , germination , population , offspring , agronomy , semelparity and iteroparity , horticulture , botany , ecology , demography , pregnancy , genetics , sociology
The majority of angiosperms have a single annual bout of reproduction; species that flower continually throughout the year are rare. Ochradenus baccatus is a gynodioecious, desert shrub whose principal flowering period is associated with the winter rains, although large individuals also remain in flower during the hot, dry summer. The goal of this study was to examine the reproductive consequences of continual flowering in a large population of O. baccatus in Israel. Over the two years of this study, 60% of individuals flowered continuously. The number of fruit and seeds per fruit were greater in winter. Winter seeds were ∼12% heavier than summer seeds and had significantly higher germination rates (80 vs. 60%, respectively). Although summer seeds were smaller and less likely to germinate, we propose that the benefit derived from their production lies in their ability to capitalize on the first winter rains. These early rain events provide a head start on establishment and growth in the hostile desert environment. Plants that delay reproduction until the onset of rains risk having their offspring face the dry conditions of spring and summer.