Sutherland Steve
Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112.
Evolution. 1987 Jul;41(4):750-759. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1987.tb05850.x.
Five hypotheses explaining the low fruit-to-flower ratios in self-incompatible hermaphroditic plants are tested for Agave mckelveyana. Results from pruning, bagging, and hand-pollination experiments indicate that "excess" flowers (i.e., flowers that fail to produce mature fruits) do not contribute to female fitness (i.e., fruit or seed production). These flowers are aborted regardless of their pollination history. Additional data on nectar production imply that these flowers act as pollen donors and contribute to male fitness.
针对麦氏龙舌兰，对解释自交不亲和雌雄同体植物中低果花比的五个假说进行了检验。修剪、套袋和人工授粉实验的结果表明，“多余”的花（即未能产生成熟果实的花）对雌性适合度（即果实或种子产量）没有贡献。无论其授粉历史如何，这些花都发育不全。关于花蜜产生的其他数据表明，这些花作为花粉供体，对雄性适合度有贡献。
