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The cost of flowers in Nigella degenii inferred from flower and perianth removal experiments

Andersson, Stefan LU (2000) In International Journal of Plant Sciences 161(6). p.903-908
Abstract
I examined the costs of producing and maintaining floral structures in Nigella degenii (Ranunculaceae). To test for such costs, I subjected plants of two populations to flower or perianth removal and then evaluated allocation to subsequently produced flowers, fruits, and seeds. Based on data from a flower removal experiment, the amount of resources allocated to flowers during the staminate and pistillate stages was about half as great as the amount of resources devoted to fruit maturation. Plants on which the perianths were removed at the bud stage produced more flowers or had a higher percent fruit set and seed viability than did plants from which the perianths were removed immediately after the growth of the sepals and petals. Removal of... (More)
I examined the costs of producing and maintaining floral structures in Nigella degenii (Ranunculaceae). To test for such costs, I subjected plants of two populations to flower or perianth removal and then evaluated allocation to subsequently produced flowers, fruits, and seeds. Based on data from a flower removal experiment, the amount of resources allocated to flowers during the staminate and pistillate stages was about half as great as the amount of resources devoted to fruit maturation. Plants on which the perianths were removed at the bud stage produced more flowers or had a higher percent fruit set and seed viability than did plants from which the perianths were removed immediately after the growth of the sepals and petals. Removal of fully developed perianths at the onset of flowering increased flower number, fruit set, or seed viability relative to plants on which the perianths remained until senescence. Some of these effects were population specific, but plants in low and high watering treatments responded similarly to perianth removal. Given these observations, I propose that the costs of producing and maintaining floral structures represent a significant drain on the water and/or energy budget of a N. degenii plant and that some trade-offs may be specific to the population in which they have been detected. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Nigella degenii, floral evolution, pollination, reproduction, resource allocation.
in
International Journal of Plant Sciences
volume
161
issue
6
pages
903 - 908
publisher
University of Chicago Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:0033695231
ISSN
1058-5893
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2ea34094-a1c5-4b38-8d98-4d60abd414fb (old id 147296)
alternative location
http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur?func=downloadFile&fileOId=625119
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:28:49
date last changed
2022-01-28 20:01:22
@article{2ea34094-a1c5-4b38-8d98-4d60abd414fb,
  abstract     = {{I examined the costs of producing and maintaining floral structures in Nigella degenii (Ranunculaceae). To test for such costs, I subjected plants of two populations to flower or perianth removal and then evaluated allocation to subsequently produced flowers, fruits, and seeds. Based on data from a flower removal experiment, the amount of resources allocated to flowers during the staminate and pistillate stages was about half as great as the amount of resources devoted to fruit maturation. Plants on which the perianths were removed at the bud stage produced more flowers or had a higher percent fruit set and seed viability than did plants from which the perianths were removed immediately after the growth of the sepals and petals. Removal of fully developed perianths at the onset of flowering increased flower number, fruit set, or seed viability relative to plants on which the perianths remained until senescence. Some of these effects were population specific, but plants in low and high watering treatments responded similarly to perianth removal. Given these observations, I propose that the costs of producing and maintaining floral structures represent a significant drain on the water and/or energy budget of a N. degenii plant and that some trade-offs may be specific to the population in which they have been detected.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Stefan}},
  issn         = {{1058-5893}},
  keywords     = {{Nigella degenii; floral evolution; pollination; reproduction; resource allocation.}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{903--908}},
  publisher    = {{University of Chicago Press}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Plant Sciences}},
  title        = {{The cost of flowers in Nigella degenii inferred from flower and perianth removal experiments}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4685414/625119.pdf}},
  volume       = {{161}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}