Maytenus obtusifolia Mart. (Celastraceae): a tropical woody species in a transitional evolutionary stage of the gynodioecy–dioecy pathway

Abstract

‘Gynodioecy–dioecy’ is one of the pathways by which dioecy can arise from hermaphroditism. Studies on sex determination and development of gynodioecious systems have focused on temperate and/or annual species. Little is known about the evolutionary dynamics of gynodioecy and dioecy in perennial tropical species, where these systems have more frequently evolved. Maytenus obtusifolia is an abundant species in restingas in southeastern Brazil. The sexual system of M. obtusifolia was investigated by studying the floral structure and reproductive biology. We considered the sexual system as an intermediate step in the pathway gynodioecy-dioecy. The characterization of the hermaphrodite morph was complex, because of a gradient of variation in floral morphology and reproductive characteristics (sizes of the style and stigmatic surface, pollen viability, embryo sacs containing hypertrophied synergids, and fruit set). This variation leads to different proportions of functional male and female flowers among hermaphrodite plants and is responsible for the different levels of reproductive success. Female reproductive success and pollen viability were negatively correlated with the hermaphrodite morph (r = −0.67). The higher fruiting intensity and fruit/flower ratio of females (41 %) compared to hermaphrodites (2 %) and the fact that female plants produce more and better-quality seeds support the female compensation. We suggest that female sterility may be linked to the set of changes in the carpels. The differences in the quality and quantity of pollen grains of hermaphrodite plants, and the similar individual rates of pollen viability observed for three consecutive flowering events, may indicate a relationship with nuclear cytoplasmic sex determination.