Highlighted articles for May 2022

Abstract

Annual, obligate outcrossing plants depend on pollinators to reproduce; however, when pollinators are absent, selection can result in the reduction of floral traits important in pollinator attraction. Over time, these changes can result in differences in breeding and mating systems and in genetic diversity and inbreeding. Cisternas-Fuentes et al. evaluated floral traits, breeding system, autogamous (self-fertilized) seed production, and genetic diversity across the distribution range of the desert evening primrose (Oenothera primiveris), a species known to have a gradient in breeding system and floral traits from the west to the east. They found evidence for a transition to the selfing syndrome, whereby flowers in populations in the east were more likely to produce offspring via selfing, and flower size and scent were reduced compared to populations in the west. In addition, populations in the east had lower genetic diversity and increased inbreeding. The results highlight the importance of measuring multiple factors to understand transitions in reproductive systems within species.