Local climate and vernalization sensitivity predict the latitudinal patterns of flowering onset in the crop wild relative Linum bienne Mill.

Background And Aims: The timing of flowering onset is often correlated with latitude, indicative of climatic gradients. Flowering onset in temperate species commonly requires exposure to cold temperatures, known as vernalization. Hence, population differentiation of flowering onset with latitude might reflect adaptation to the local climatic conditions experienced by populations.

Complementary roles of hummingbirds and bees: Pollen pickup, pollen deposition, and fruit production in the distylous Palicourea rigida.

Premise: Distyly is a condition in which individual plants in a population express two floral morphs, L- and S-morph, characterized by reciprocal placements of anthers and stigmas between morphs. The function of distyly requires that pollinators collect pollen from L- and S-morphs on different parts along their bodies to then deposit it on the stigmas of the opposite morph, known as legitimate pollination. However, different pollinator groups might differ in the ability to transfer pollen legitimately.

Incomplete partitioning of pollinators by Linum suffruticosum and its coflowering congeners.

Premise: Linum suffruticosum shows variations in pollinator fit, pollen pickup, and local pollinators that predict pollen deposition rates. The species often coflowers with other Linum species using the same pollinators. We investigated whether L.

Variation in pollen sterility and gender specialization: an investigation with distylous species of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae).

Differences in pollen sterility between morphs in distylous populations may represent the first step in the evolution of gender specialization. Theoretically, for partially or completely male sterile individuals to persist they must have some fitness advantage that compensates for the loss of male function. Gender specialization is considered a widespread process in Erythroxylum, but male sterility and the resource reallocation to female function have been investigated in few species and populations.