Does optimal packing of flowers in syconia shape style length variation inmonoecious figs?

Style length variation in Female flowers of monoecious figs has been shown to play an important role in regulating the proportion of Bowers that devel op into seeds and those that become infested by the pollinator wasp. In thi s study, we tested the suggestion that style length variation in figs is a consequence of optimal packing of the flowers. We show that optimal packing of flowers in fig syconia will result in a highly skewed distribution of s tyle lengths and a positive skewness of pedicel lengths. These predictions were qualitatively rested in eight species of figs and the results indicate that observed style length distributions did not conform to chose expected . We argue that while the pedicel lengths ate likely to be a spinoff of opt imal packing of the flowers, style lengths are probably shaped by independe nt selective forces. The pedicel lengths also are subjected to compensatory growth so as to place the stigmas at a common height in the central cavity for effective pollination of the flowers. This was substantiated by the re sponse (dependence) of pedicels to (on) the length of the style, neck, and other floral features. In all species the coefficient of variation of style s was very consistent (ca 30%). This is in accordance with expectations if style lengths are shaped to regulate the proportion of flowers for wasp and seed production.