Male and hermaphrodite flowers in the alpine lily Lloydia serotina

In perennial species that produce only one flower per individual each year, androdioecy (coexistence of genetic male and hermaphrodite individuals) ma y be difficult to distinguish from andromonoecy (male and hermaphrodite flo wers on the same plant). We show that the alpine lily, Lloydia serotina Rch b., produces functionally male and hermaphroditic flowers. Mean male freque ncy in 11 populations in the French Alps was 48.5%, ranging from 15.5 to 67 .5%. Male flowers do not produce more pollen nor sire more seeds per flower in controlled pollinations than hermaphrodite flowers. Male floral scapes were consistently shorter than those of hermaphrodites. Out of several thou sand observed floral scapes, four had two flowers, all with a terminal herm aphroditic flower and an axillary male one. Among 107 bulbs transplanted in pots in 1996, eighteen expressed a different sexual phenotype in 1999 or 2 000, and one hermaphrodite produced two flowers of different sexes in 2000. Together, these results suggest that L. serotina is andromonoecious throug hout its lifetime.