P. Kron et al., SELF-COMPATIBILITY, AUTONOMOUS SELF-POLLINATION, AND INSECT-MEDIATED POLLINATION IN THE CLONAL SPECIES IRIS VERSICOLOR, Canadian journal of botany, 71(11), 1993, pp. 1503-1509
In clonal species, sexual and asexual systems interact to create a hie
rarchy of reproduction. For example, self-pollination can occur within
pollination units, flowers, ramets, or clones. We investigated the re
productive biology of a natural population of Iris versicolor using po
llination manipulations and observations of pollinator behaviour. We f
ound that (i) individuals were completely self-compatible, (ii) selfin
g rates were close to 100%, (iii) autonomous self-pollination can occu
r through stigma-anther contact or wind action, (iv) most seed and fru
it set can be accounted for by insect pollination, and (v) facilitated
self-pollination likely occurs because pollinators frequently visit m
ore than one pollination unit within a flower. Our observations showed
that flowers pass through three stages: (i) a male stage (in which po
llen is freely available, but stigmas are inaccessible, preventing aut
ogamy); (ii) a female stage (in which stigma flaps have reflexed and a
re receptive, but pollinators may have already removed most pollen gra
ins, structuring opportunities for geitonogamy); and (iii) a strongly
autogamous stage (in which stigma flaps have curled back to contact an
thers, leading to delayed autonomous self-pollination). This hierarchy
of relatedness among mates determines the genetic consequences of veg
etative and sexual reproduction in clonal plants and influences their
evolution.