Sterile and fertile flowers are an important evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) phenotype in angiosperm flowers, playing important roles in pollinator attraction and sexual reproductive success. However, the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying fertile and sterile flower differentiation and development remain largely unknown. Viburnum macrocephalum f. keteleeri, which possesses fertile and ...

BACKGROUND Most angiosperms present flowers in inflorescences, which play roles in reproduction, primarily related to pollination, beyond those served by individual flowers alone. An inflorescence's overall reproductive contribution depends primarily on the three-dimensional arrangement of the floral canopy and its dynamics during its flowering period. These features depend in turn on character...

†Background Most angiosperms present flowers in inflorescences, which play roles in reproduction, primarily related to pollination, beyond those served by individual flowers alone. An inflorescence’s overall reproductive contribution depends primarily on the three-dimensional arrangement of the floral canopy and its dynamics during its flowering period. These features depend in turn on characte...

This paper analyses, on an individual plant basis, the various components determining seed production in the evergreen shrub Lavandula latifolia (Labiatae), in order to estimate their relative contributions to individual differences in fecundity. The relationships between fecundity and age, size, and growth rate are also examined. Experimental pollination and watering were done in an attempt to...

The aim of this study was to use multivariate methods and Pearson and partial correlations to disregard phenotypic characteristics that contribute little to differentiation between Brachiaria ruziziensis genotypes. Eighty-one genotypes of B. ruziziensis were assessed in completely randomized blocks with three replications. Ten phenotypic characteristics were assessed: plant height, leaf length,...

Seed yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is important in determining the effective distribution of new cultivars to farmers. Many genetic and environmental factors affect seed yield. This study was conducted to explain seed yield variation induced by either environmental conditions or cultivars. We analyzed seed yield, aboveground phytomass, harvest index, and seed yield components for a set ...

Floral display size represents a tradeoff between the benefits of increased pollinator visitation and the quantity of pollen received vs. the costs of increased self-pollination and reduced pollination quality. Plants with large floral displays often are more attractive to pollinators, but pollinators visit more flowers per plant. Intraplant foraging movements should increase self-pollination t...

in a field experiment, during three successive years of 2007, 2008 and 2009, the effects of planting pattern and high corm density on agronomic performance of saffron was investigated at the research station of ferdowsi university of mashhad. a complete randomized block design in a factorial arrangement of three replications being employed. treatments consisted of three corm rates of planting (...

The present study, investigated some reproductive and fertility parameters in some wild populations, originating from the North Tunisia (4 populations of Medicago ciliaris and 3 populations of Medicago intertexta). Previous finding revealed that these species are genetically distinct and easily recognized by the number of flowers per inflorescence and pod dimensions. However, biometrical traits...