Reproductive isolation among divergent populations of the moth-pollinated orchid Platanthera bifolia

• Differentiation in floral traits has been documented between populations in contrasting habitats in several species of flowering plants, but few studies have investigated whether barriers to reproduction contribute to the maintenance of this variation. We investigated components of prezygotic reproductive isolation between short-spurred and long-spurred populations of the moth-pollinated orchid Platanthera bifolia on the island of Öland, SE Sweden. Short-spurred and long-spurred populations were reproductively isolated due to spatial isolation, and differences in flowering time, pollinator morphology and behaviour. The index of reproductive isolation due to pollinators and flowering time was higher for the early-flowering long-spurred plants than it was for the late-flowering short-spurred plants. In addition, we documented a postpollination isolation mechanism manifested as reduced fruit formation in short-spurred plants when pollinated with pollen from long-spurred plants. The results indicate that strong reproductive isolation contribute to the maintenance of population differentiation in morphology and phenology between long-spurred and short-spurred populations of P. bifolia.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Reproductive isolation

spur length

population differentiation

speciation

Biology

Biologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)