SUMMARYIn genera of flowering plants that contain closely related gynodioecious and near dioecious species, near dioecy has probably evolved from gynodioecy by gradual reduction of seed set on hermaphrodites, caused by the action of several genes for partial female sterility. A literature survey shows that several types of sex-function differential fertility effects are widespread in hermaphrodite plants, so that a model of such variation may be of interest both as a model of normal hermaphrodite populations, and for the above evolutionary process. Such a model is presented where there is a dominant or nondominant gene P for partial female sterility (ovule fertility values w,, w5 < 1), and where partially female-sterile hermaphrodites (" subhermaphrodites ") may be maintained by overdominance for pollen fertility (homozygote pollen fertility value w4 < 1). Subherrnaphrodites have genotypes PP or Pp, and hermaphrodites have pp. Fitness values (numbers of offspring per individual) depend upon genotype frequencies and degree of selfing, so that these values have to be distinguished from the constant fertility or selection values (the w values). Proportions of offspring left through the ovules differ among genotypes, are frequency dependent and differ from those left through the pollen. Outcrossing rates for pollen, t2, are also frequency dependent, differ among genotypes and differ from the ovule outcrossing rate, t5. For t1 t I, t, for hermaphrodites 11. Numerical results are given for equilibrium populations and include some cases of complete female sterility for comparison. These results show that frequencies of subhermaphrodites decrease with increased selfing. The heterozygous subhermaphrodite is the fittest, and the homozygous subhermaphrodite the least fit genotype. The fitness of the heterozygous subhermaphrodite decreases, and that of the hermaphrodite increases, with increased selfing. Except for males, proportions of ovule offspring decrease with increased selfing, and again with this exception and with t5 I, t2 is highest for heterozygous subhermaphrodites, and for this type is > 15, whereas t5 is least for hermaphrodites. The total ovule production of the population increases, and total pollen production decreases, with increased selfing.