Lm. Wolfe, REPRODUCTIVE CONSEQUENCES OF A FLOWER COLOR POLYMORPHISM IN HYDROPHYLLUM-APPENDICULATUM, The American midland naturalist, 129(2), 1993, pp. 405-408
This study examined the reproductive consequences of a discrete flower
color polymorphism in a natural population of the woodland herb, Hydr
ophyllum appendiculatum (Hydrophyllaceae). Approximately 3% of the nor
mally blue-flowered population consisted of completely white-flowered
albinos. The two color morphs did not differ in flower size, seed weig
ht, or in the number of seeds produced per inflorescence. However, ave
rage seed production per plant was much greater on blue-flowered plant
s. In contrast to other speciees with floral polymorphisms, the differ
ence in seed production was not due to differential pollinator foragin
g behavior: the principal pollinator of H. appendiculatum (Apis mellif
era) did not exhibit any preference for color morph. Rather, the diffe
rence in seed output was explained by the greater production of inflor
escences by the blue morph. This finding suggests that the locus contr
olling flower color is genetically associated with the locus controlli
ng inflorescence production.