HIGH MALE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF HERMAPHRODITES IN THE ANDRODIOECIOUS PHILLYREA ANGUSTIFOLIA

Androdioecy, the coexistence of males and hermaphrodites within a population, is a rare breeding system, often considered as unlikely to evolve because of restrictive conditions for its maintenance. Phillyrea angustifolia, a wind-pollinated shrub, is one of the handful species reported to be androdi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evolution 2002-07, Vol.56 (7), p.1362-1373
Main Authors: Vassiliadis, Christine, Saumitou-Laprade, Pierre, Lepart, Jacques, Viard, Frédérique
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Androdioecy
Evolution
Fertility
Gene flow
Genetic loci
Male animals
Male fertility
male reproductive success
microsatellite
Microsatellite Repeats - genetics
Oleaceae - genetics
Oleaceae - physiology
paternity analysis
Phenotype
Plant Physiological Phenomena
Plant reproduction
Plants
Pollen
Polymorphism, Genetic
Population estimates
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Reproduction
Reproductive success
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Summary:Androdioecy, the coexistence of males and hermaphrodites within a population, is a rare breeding system, often considered as unlikely to evolve because of restrictive conditions for its maintenance. Phillyrea angustifolia, a wind-pollinated shrub, is one of the handful species reported to be androdioecious. Our previous studies have shown that natural populations of this species in southern France exhibit higher male frequencies (∼50%) than predicted on theoretical grounds. Thus, the male functionality of hermaphrodites is still debated. To assess the functional breeding system of this species in the wild, a paternity analysis was performed with two highly polymorphic microsatellite loci on 729 seeds collected on 10 maternal shrubs in a natural population of 24 mature individuals of P. angustifolia. A large proportion of seeds were found to have been sired by pollen from outside the population. Analysis of seeds sired by individuals within the study population revealed a high male fertility of hermaphrodites resulting in a low male advantage in fertility for male plants. Intermate distances were found to have a strong impact on male reproductive success, whereas sexual morph had no effect, with males and hermaphrodites performing equivalently. This study is the first to unequivocally document the occurrence of a male function of hermaphrodites in a natural population of an androdioecious species.
ISSN:0014-3820
1558-5646
DOI:10.1554/0014-3820(2002)056[1362:HMRSOH]2.0.CO;2