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Reproductive ecology and the persistence of an endangered plant

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Abstract

Amsinckia grandiflora (large-flowered fiddleneck)is an extremely rare California annual wildflower, known only from threepopulations. We conducted field and greenhouse experiments to compare the rareheterostyle with a cryptic self-incompatibility system (A.grandiflora) to a common, self-compatible, homostylous, sympatriccongener (A. tessellata). Inter-species comparisons ofadult plants suggested that in the greenhouse, A.grandiflora balances low floral seed set (seeds per flower) withincreased floral output (flowers/plant) and a greater number of flowers perinflorescence. Seed set from active self-, intra- and inter-morph pollinationswas high in A. grandiflora, indicating that the crypticself-incompatibility system does not prevent seed set in the species. In thefield, A. grandiflora floral output was only slightlygreater than for A. tessellata, and did not fully balance lowerfloral seed set. Amsinckia tessellata average seed weightwas lower than that of A. grandiflora, which, along with the lowernumber of flowers produced, indicated lower maternal investment per nutlet thanfor A. grandiflora. Under conditions of unlimited resources, itappears that A. grandiflora fitness is not intrinsicallylimited when compared to its weedy relative A. tessellata.The differences in nutlet output between A. grandiflora andA. tessellata under field conditions are more likely due todifferential responses to extrinsic factors such as competition and pollinatoravailability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Restoration Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, L-528, Livermore, USA

    Tina M. Carlsen & Erin K. Espeland

  2. Department of Biology, Mills College, Oakland, USA

    Bruce M. Pavlik

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  1. Tina M. Carlsen
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  2. Erin K. Espeland
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  3. Bruce M. Pavlik
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Carlsen, T.M., Espeland, E.K. & Pavlik, B.M. Reproductive ecology and the persistence of an endangered plant. Biodiversity and Conservation 11, 1247–1268 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016066618824

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