Fuchsia regia and F. campos-portoi (Onagraceae) belong to section Quelusia; a group native the Patagonian, Southern Southeastern Brazilian regions. To date, no studies coupling detailed pollinator observations breeding system experiments have been published for these species. Studies were performed at Parque Nacional do Itatiaia (Rio de Janeiro), in altitudes ranging from 1300 2790 meters a.s.l...

We tested three predictions regarding the joint evolution of pollen performance and mating system. First, due to the potential for intense intrasexual competition in outcrossing populations, we predicted that outcrossers would produce faster-growing pollen than their selfing relatives. Second, if elevated competition promotes stronger selection on traits that improve pollen performance, then, a...

Despite the importance of plant-herbivore interactions to the ecology and evolution of terrestrial ecosystems, the evolutionary factors contributing to variation in plant defenses against herbivores remain unresolved. We used a comparative phylogenetic approach to examine a previously untested hypothesis (Recombination-Mating System Hypothesis) that posits that reduced sexual reproduction limit...

Environmental gradients are important factors that can potentially influence the genetic diversity and differentiation of populations. The present study examines effect environmental heterogeneity Hyrcanian forests on populations Circaea lutetiana L. (Onagraceae). Using morphometrics, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) leaf epidermis, molecular markers, we analyzed among nine from environmental...

Onagraceae are a family of 17 genera in seven tribes, with the majority of species in tribes Onagreae and Epilobieae. Despite the species-richness of these two tribes, to date no phylogenetic study has been done with suf!cient taxon sampling to examine relationships between and within these tribes. In this study, we used DNA sequence data from one nuclear region (ITS) and two chloroplast region...