Cryptic dioecy in Mussaenda pubescens (Rubiaceae): a species with stigma-height dimorphism.

Annals of Botany
Ai-Min LiSpencer C H Barrett

Abstract

Evolutionary transitions from heterostyly to dioecy have been proposed in several angiosperm families, particularly in Rubiaceae. These transitions involve the spread of male and female sterility mutations resulting in modifications to the gender of ancestral hermaphrodites. Despite sustained interest in the gender strategies of plants, the structural and developmental bases for transitions in sexual systems are poorly understood. Here, floral morphology, patterns of fertility, pollen-tube growth and floral development are investigated in two populations of the scandent shrub Mussaenda pubescens (Rubiaceae), native to southern China, by means of experimental and open-pollinations, light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy combined with paraffin sectioning. Mussaenda pubescens has perfect (hermaphroditic) flowers and populations with two style-length morphs but only weak differentiation in anther position (stigma-height dimorphism). Experimental pollinations demonstrated that despite morphological hermaphroditism, the species is functionally dioecious. The long-styled (L) morph possesses sterile pollen and functions as a female, whereas the short-styled (S) morph is female sterile and functions a...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 5, 2011·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Laura E Perry, Marcel E Dorken
Nov 2, 2012·American Journal of Botany·Ting-Ting DuanDian-Xiang Zhang
Feb 23, 2018·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Pierre Saumitou-LapradeMathilde Dufay

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