Breeding System in the Dichogamous Hermaphrodite Silene acutifolia (Caryophyllaceae)

in Silene latifolia (Caryophyllaceae)

• Sex ratio polymorphism has been extensively studied in Silene latifolia, but it is neither known whether inbreeding (which is likely to occur under field conditions) affects it nor which of the proposed mechanisms (Y degeneration, X-linked drive) is more important. Both mechanisms predict reduced pollen performance. • In this study, females were crossed with pollen from related and unrelated ...

The role of breeding system and inbreeding depression in the maintenance of an outcrossing mating strategy in Silene virginica (Caryophyllaceae).

The goal of this study was to understand the interaction among breeding system, mating system, and expression of inbreeding depression in the hermaphroditic, primarily hummingbird-pollinated, iteroparous, short-lived perennial Silene virginica. We performed hand-selfed and hand-outcrossed pollinations in the field, conducted detailed floral observations within individual flowers and plants, and...

A taxonomic study on the genus Silene (Caryophyllaceae) in Iran

The genus Silene includes 98 species in Iran, with 35 endemic to the Iranian plateau (26 species for Iran). The Iranian species are placed in 21 sections. In this article, the most important characteristics for the separation of the sections, relationships between the sections, and an identification key for the sections in Iran are presented. For each section a distribution map is provided. The...

Disentangling the Reticulate History of Polyploids in Silene (Caryophyllaceae)

Nectar reward and advertisement in hummingbird-pollinated Silene virginica (Caryophyllaceae).

We tested for an association between nectar and various floral traits and investigated their roles as primary and secondary pollinator attractants in hummingbird-pollinated Silene virginica. Our goal was to gain insight into the mechanisms of pollinator-mediated selection that underlies floral trait divergence within the genus. In a field population of S. virginica, we measured five floral and ...