Influence of inflorescence size on sexual expression and female reproductive success in a monoecious species

摘要: Sex allocation theory forecasts that larger plant size may modify the balance in fitness gain both genders, leading to uneven optimal male and female allocation. This reasoning can be applied flowers inflorescences, because increase flower or inflorescence differentially benefit different gender functions, thus favour preferential specific floral structures. We investigated how influenced sexual expression reproductive success monoecious Tussilago farfara, by measuring patterns of biomass, N P Inflorescences T. farfara showed broad variation sex and, according expectations, structures an allometric pattern. Unexpectedly, two studied populations had a contrasting pattern with size. In shaded site, inflorescences were female-biased disproportionately more attraction structures; while open male-biased. Female was higher larger, showier inflorescences. Surprisingly, positively success. These not easily interpretable as result pollen limitation when naively assuming unequivocal relationship between structure function for this other Asteraceae, where are pollination unit, play role pollinator attraction.