EFFECT OF MALE POLLEN DONOR AND FEMALE SEED PARENT ON ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES TO DEVELOPING SEEDS AND FRUIT IN CHAMAECRISTA FASCICULATA (LEGUMINOSAE)

Abstract

In Chamaecrista fasciculata, fruit abortion levels are high and seed mass is highly variable, necessary preconditions for differential resource allocation of the female to seed and fruit sired by different males. This study investigated the relative role of pollen donor and seed parent on the allocation of resouces to developing seed and fruit, and assessed the role of genetic relatedness in contributing to any observed paternal effect in C. fasciculata. In addition, pollen donor effects were contrasted to within‐seed parent sources of variation in resource allocation due to pollination date and ovule position in the pod. Plants collected from the field were brought to a greenhouse where single‐donor crosses were conducted controlling for pollen donor source and interplant distance, a measure of genetic relatedness. Seed mass, number of seed/fruit, fruit maturation time, and fruit abortion rate were measured as indicators of resource allocation to developing seed and fruit. Variation in resource allocation was largely determined by the seed parent. Pollen donor effects were limited to differences between self vs. non‐self pollinations, suggesting that inbreeding depression following mating events between related individuals is the source of any variation among pollen donors on differential resource allocation to developing seed and fruit. Once the effect of inbreeding was removed, however, pollination date and ovule position played larger roles than pollen source. Since there was no detectable variation among male pollen donors in their ability to accrue resources from the female seed parent apart from inbreeding effects, it is concluded that the opportunity for postzygotic mate choice is limited in C. fasciculata.