Biology Faculty & Staff Publications

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1980

Abstract

Evidence is presented that individuals of a large number of dioecious and subdioecious plant species are able to alter their sexual state in response to changes in the ambient environment and/or changes in size or age. We suggest that lability of sexual expression probably has survival value where a significant portion of the females must otherwise bear the cost of fruit production in unfavorable environments. We demonstrate that in patchy environments of the proper scale and variability in quality, labile sexual expression will enhance an individuals genetic contribution to the next generation.

Publisher

Oecologia

Volume

47

First Page

222

Last Page

232

Language (ISO)

English

Keywords

sex change, plants, sexual expression

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