Abstract
The contribution of self-pollination to overall reproduction in Isotria medeoloides was experimentally assessed. We used insect exclosures and applied three treatments - no floral manipulation; pollinaria removal followed by hand self-pollination; and pollinaria removal followed by hand cross-pollination - and a control. Mature capsule dimensions and total seed weight were measured for each capsule. Analysis of variance revealed no significant treatment effects in mean seed weight, whereas a G-test showed that there were no differences in fruit set among treatments. Capsule length and diameter were strongly correlated with seed weight. Additionally, plant size (measured as leaf whorl diameter) was positively correlated with overall mean seed weight. We conclude that I. medeoloides is self-compatible and primarily self-pollinating. We also conclude that while reproduction is not limited by pollen availability, it may be limited by resources, assessed by overall plant size.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 56-63 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Rhodora |
| Volume | 99 |
| Issue number | 897 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 1997 |
Keywords
- Autogamy
- Isotria medeoloides
- Maine
- Self compatibility
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Plant Science
- Horticulture