Drought and temperature stresses impact pollen production and autonomous selfing in a California wildflower, <i>Collinsia heterophylla</i>

Ongoing climatic changes have altered growing conditions for plants by limiting water availability and inducing unprecedented temperature increases, eliciting plant functional responses that compromise floral trait expression, reduce pollen production promote early self-pollination. In a controlled greenhouse study, of Collinsia heterophylla, an annual mixed-mated hermaphrodite, were grown under stresses. Floral related effects on reproductive success recorded. Plants stresses shorter had fewer leaves at flowering than control plants. Temperature-stressed flowered earlier smaller flowers produced per capita grains water-stressed While lifetime flower in experiencing stress alone or was similar to plants, those receiving combined significantly lower production. Abiotic did not affect investment female traits such as ovule number flower, but impacted male seen flower. abiotic stress, increase autonomous self-pollination facilitated through herkogamy, sexual interference mechanism promotes cross-pollination. Spatial separation between stigma anther, measure herkogamy zero negative stressed Thus, selfing augmented. nature, will likely available nutrition pollinators decreased