Abstract
To investigate the influence of insularity on plant reproductive biology at a local geographic scale, we examined aspects of reproduction in distylous Primula mistassinica Michx. (Primulaceae) on Lake Huron shorelines of the Bruce Peninsula and adjacent Tobermory Islands in Ontario, Canada. A total of 7 mainland and 13 nearshore island populations were compared. Controlled pollinations demonstrated that P. mistassinica possesses a dimorphic incompatibility system with intermorph crosses setting significantly more seeds than self or intramorph crosses. Floral morphology, population style-morph ratios, and seed fertility were compared in mainland and nearshore island populations to determine whether there was evidence for differences in reproductive traits between these areas. Style-morph ratios did not differ significantly from equilibrium expectations, and there were no consistent differences between island and mainland populations in floral morphology or fertility. Rather, the generalized pollination system of P. mistassinica and extensive historical opportunities for colonization appear to have mitigated insular effects so that proximate ecological factors are more relevant to the current reproductive biology of populations.Key words: distyly, insularity, pollination, reproductive biology.
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