| Abstract Detail
Ecology Fraga, Naomi [1], Blanco, Summer [2], McCarthy, Matthew [3]. Flower color polymorphism in western North American monkeyflowers: investigating flower color variation across geographic space. Flower color varies widely across angiosperms but intraspecific flower color variation (polymorphism) is relatively uncommon. Polymorphic traits such as flower color offer a special opportunity to investigate evolutionary patterns, yet the underlying factors that maintain polymorphic traits remain poorly understood in most cases. Several species of western North American monkeyflowers (Phrymaceae) exhibit flower color polymorphism. We have investigated species in two sections of monkeyflowers that are polymorphic for flower color. Both sections are composed entirely of winter annuals: Erythranthe section Paradantha (about 25% of species polymorphic) and Diplacus section Eunanus (about 21% of species polymorphic). Species of monkeyflowers that are polymorphic for flower color have co-occurring pink and yellow morphs, or co-occurring white and yellow morphs. The frequency of each color morph varies across geographic space and can also vary temporally. In this study, we examined abiotic factors that covary with flower color including elevation, latitude, and total annual precipitation. Our results suggest that abiotic factors have an influence on the frequency of color morphs within a population. As a result, we hypothesize that abiotic factors may play a role in the maintenance of flower color polymorphism. The impact of selection by pollinators remains to be assessed in future work.
Log in to add this item to your schedule
1 - Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA, 91711, United States
2 - California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 3801 W Temple Ave, Pomona, CA, 91768, United States
3 - Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, CA, 91711-3157, United States
Keywords:
polymorphism
flower color
Phrymaceae
plant reproduction
Floral trait divergence.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 31, Ecology Section - Population Biology
Location: 106/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Tuesday, July 24th, 2018
Time: 5:15 PM
Number: 31015
Abstract ID:379
Candidate for Awards:None |
