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The evolution of distyly from tristyly in populations of Oxalis alpina (Oxalidaceae) in the Sky Islands of the Sonoran Desert
Author(s) -
Weller Stephen G.,
Domínguez César A.,
MolinaFreaner Francisco E.,
Fori Juan,
LeBuhn Gretchen
Publication year - 2007
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 - 10.3732/ajb.94.6.972
Subject(s) - biology , inbreeding depression , inbreeding , ecology , evolutionary biology , population , demography , sociology
The evolution of distyly from tristyly was investigated in populations of Oxalis alpina at high elevations throughout the Sky Islands of the Sonoran Desert. Incompatibility systems in tristylous populations, where self‐incompatible short‐, mid‐, and long‐styled morphs occur in populations, vary from those typical of tristylous species in which each morph is equally capable of fertilizing ovules of the other two morphs, to breeding systems in which incompatibility relationships are asymmetric. In these populations, selection against the allele controlling expression of the mid‐styled morph is likely. The degree of modification of incompatibility in the short‐ and long‐styled morphs in 10 populations was strongly associated with fewer mid‐styled morphs, supporting models predicting the effect of these modifications of incompatibility on frequency of the mid‐styled morph. Self‐compatibility of the mid‐styled morph may be important for maintaining the frequency of this morph, depending on the level of self‐pollination, self‐fertilization, and the extent of inbreeding depression. Modifications of incompatibility in tristylous populations and the distribution of distylous populations of O. alpina in the Sky Island region have similar geographic components, indicating the potential importance of historical factors in the evolution of distyly from tristyly.