Examining the relationship between functional gender and gender specialization in hermaphroditic plants

Functional gender, as measured by relative success in fruit or seed production, may not indicate the true extent of gender specialization of individual plants. We propose our measure of "relative quality" as a more appropriate indicator of gender specialization, provided that the data aris...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American naturalist 1986-09, Vol.128 (3), p.409-415
Main Authors: Robbins, L, Travis, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AMELIORATION DES PLANTES
BIGNONIACEAE
Biological and medical sciences
Biological gender
CAMPSIS RADICANS
Correlations
FITOMEJORAMIENTO
Flowers
Fruit production
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gametes
HERMAFRODITISMO
HERMAPHRODISME
HERMAPHRODITISM
Inverse relationships
MALES
Mating behavior
PLANT BREEDING
Plant physiology and development
Plants
POLINIZACION
Pollen
POLLINATION
POLLINISATION
SELECCION
SELECTION
SEX
SEXE
SEXO
Vegetative and sexual reproduction, floral biology, fructification
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Summary:Functional gender, as measured by relative success in fruit or seed production, may not indicate the true extent of gender specialization of individual plants. We propose our measure of "relative quality" as a more appropriate indicator of gender specialization, provided that the data arise from a fully crossed experimental mating series. Relative quality does not lead to an artifactual inverse correlation of gender abilities, whereas relative success can do so when true variation exists in at least one gender ability. The difference in the performance of these two indexes arises because quality, unlike success, separates an individual plant's contribution from that of its mating partners. Data on functional gender based on uncontrolled observations in natural populations cannot be used for any inferences about gender abilities. The observed correlation between male and female success reflects the net effects of the variance among individuals in genderspecific abilities, the degree of genetic incompatibilities among the plants, and the specific distribution of matings. The observed correlation between our indexes of male and female quality reflects the net effects of the last two influences.
ISSN:0003-0147
1537-5323
DOI:10.1086/284571