Restricted female function of hermaphrodites in a gynodioecious shrub, Daphne jezoensis (Thymelaeaceae).

Gynodioecy is the coexistence of hermaphrodites and females in a population. It is supposed to be an intermediate stage in the evolutionary pathway from hermaphroditism to dioecy in angiosperm. Hermaphrodites gain fitness through both seed and pollen production whereas females gain fitness only through seed production.

Seasonal changes in pollen limitation and femaleness along the snowmelt gradient in a distylous alpine herb, .

Flowering phenology of alpine plants is strongly determined by the timing of snowmelt, and the conditions of pollination of widely distributed plants vary greatly during their flowering season. We examined the reproductive success of the distylous alpine herb, , along the snowmelt gradient under natural conditions, and compared it with the result of artificial pollination experiments. In addition, the compositions and visit frequencies of pollinators to the flower of were examined during the flowering period.

Development and evaluation of microsatellite markers for the gynodioecious shrub Daphne jezoensis (Thymelaeaceae).

Premise Of The Study: Ten microsatellite markers were developed and characterized in a gynodioecious summer-deciduous shrub, Daphne jezoensis, to facilitate studies of the evolution of gynodioecy in the species. •

Methods And Results: We used a next-generation sequencing approach with the Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM) system to identify and develop microsatellite markers with perfect di- and trinucleotide repeats. These markers were tested with 47 samples from two natural populations.

Flowering phenology influences seed production and outcrossing rate in populations of an alpine snowbed shrub, Phyllodoce aleutica: effects of pollinators and self-incompatibility.

Background And Aims: Because of differences in snowmelt time, the reproductive phenologies of alpine plants are highly variable among local populations, and there is large variation in seed set across populations. Temporal variation in pollinator availability during the season may be a major factor affecting not only seed production but also outcrossing rate of alpine plants.

Methods: Among local populations of Phyllodoce aleutica that experience different snowmelt regimes, flowering phenology, pollinator availability, seed-set rate, and outcrossing rate were compared with reference to the mating system (self-compatibility or heterospecific compatibility with a co-occurring congeneric species).

Adaptive significance of self-fertilization in a hermaphroditic perennial, Trillium camschatcense (Melanthiaceae).

The evolution of self-fertilization from primarily outcrossing ancestors is one of the most common evolutionary transitions in plants; however, the ecological mechanisms that maintain self-fertilization have remained controversial. Theoretical studies suggest that selfing is advantageous over outcrossing in terms of genetic transmission and assurance of seed production under pollen-limited circumstances. Trillium camschatcense is a herbaceous perennial distributed in Hokkaido and northern Honshu, Japan.

Predominance of clonal reproduction, but recombinant origins of new genotypes in the free-floating aquatic bladderwort Utricularia australis f. tenuicaulis (Lentibulariaceae).

Aquatic plants are a biological group sharing several adaptations to aquatic conditions. The most striking evolutionary convergence in this group is the extensive reliance on clonal reproduction, which largely determines the patterns and process of evolution in aquatic plants. Utricularia australis f.

Relatedness structure in Rhododendron metternichii var. hondoense revealed by microsatellite analysis.

The relatedness structure of Rhododendron metternichii Sieb. et Zucc. var.