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Kin discrimination allows plants to modify investment towards pollinator attraction

Author

Listed:
  • Rubén Torices

    (University of Lausanne
    La Cañada de San Urbano)

  • José M. Gómez

    (La Cañada de San Urbano)

  • John R. Pannell

    (University of Lausanne)

Abstract

Pollinators tend to be preferentially attracted to large floral displays that may comprise more than one plant in a patch. Attracting pollinators thus not only benefits individuals investing in advertising, but also other plants in a patch through a ‘magnet’ effect. Accordingly, there could be an indirect fitness advantage to greater investment in costly floral displays by plants in kin-structured groups than when in groups of unrelated individuals. Here, we seek evidence for this strategy by manipulating relatedness in groups of the plant Moricandia moricandioides, an insect-pollinated herb that typically grows in patches. As predicted, individuals growing with kin, particularly at high density, produced larger floral displays than those growing with non-kin. Investment in attracting pollinators was thus moulded by the presence and relatedness of neighbours, exemplifying the importance of kin recognition in the evolution of plant reproductive strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rubén Torices & José M. Gómez & John R. Pannell, 2018. "Kin discrimination allows plants to modify investment towards pollinator attraction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-04378-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04378-3
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