Opportunities for geitonogamy in the clonal herb Maianthemum dilatatum

Clonal plant species have a diverse range of morphologies, which influences the spatial proximity of clonemates, which may affect the rate of geitonogamy. This study measured fine-scale clonal structure, pollinator behaviour, and impacts of geitonogamy on seed set in Maianthemum dilatatum (A. Wood) Nels. & J.F. Macbr., a herb with a spreading clonal morphology. Despite having a dispersive habit, on average more than 75% of the 10 nearest flowering neighbours of a ramet were clonemates of that ramet. Pollinators foraged preferentially among near-neighbours, but during bouts, visitors typically visited only two floral ramets, effectively lowering the expected contribution to geitonogamy based on flight distances alone. Experimental hand pollinations, pollinator exclusion, and emasculation treatments provided evidence that geitonogamy attributable to pollen from neighbouring ramets may reduce seed set in natural populations through a mechanism of self-interference. Even in a dispersive clonal plant species s...

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