Ecology and evolution of reproductive diversity in plants

约250,000种开花植物表现出显著的生殖适应多样性，从雌雄同体到两性生殖的繁殖系统，从完全自花受精到完全异花受精的交配系统，以及似乎无限多样的花卉设计和展示。我预计，这种多样性很大程度上代表了生殖功能的差异，因此，我的具体研究项目解决了设计和展示的作用，特别是授粉和交配环境及其对植物繁殖进化的影响。我的发现拨款提案确定了三组从不同角度解决生殖多样性的项目。其中一组四个项目考虑了花形态在控制传粉者-花相互作用的精确度方面的不同方面。这种精确度影响花粉在植物之间的传播，因此是花结构的基本功能。另外三个项目将解决对植物展示的花数(开花率)的控制和花的寿命)以及它们的共同进化。第三组两个项目考察了授粉成功对两性物种中花粉和胚珠产生的进化以及不同性别的进化的影响。最后一个项目将扩展我的研究计划，因为我考虑了繁殖对营养结构和植物形态进化的影响。我建议的研究从互补的角度解决植物的生殖多样性，从特定性状的作用到有性系统和植物形态的进化。这种以假设为导向的研究包括了解决旧问题的新方法，并将以前未探索的主题暴露在尖锐的探究中。除了这些对了解花卉多样性的基本贡献外，这项研究还将培养至少7名研究生科学家，并为至少18名本科生提供研究经验。

The ~250,000 species of flowering plants exhibit remarkable diversity of reproductive adaptations, with breeding systems ranging from dioecy to hermaphroditism, mating systems ranging from complete self-fertilization to complete cross-fertilization, and a seemingly limitless variety of floral design and display. I expect that much of this diversity represents differences in reproductive function, so that my specific research projects address the roles of design and display in particular pollination and mating environments and their implications for the evolution of plant reproduction.    My Discovery Grant proposal identifies three sets of projects that address reproductive diversity from a variety of perspectives.  One set of four projects considers various aspect of the role of floral morphology in controlling the precision of pollinator-flower interactions.  This precision influences pollen dispersal between plants and so is a fundamental function of flower structure.  Three additional projects will address the controls on the number of flowers that plants display (the rate of flower opening and flower longevity) and their joint evolution.  A third set of two projects examine the influences of pollination success for the evolution of pollen and ovule production in hermaphroditic species and the evolution of separate sexes.  The final project will expand my research program as I consider the consequences of reproduction for the evolution of vegetative architecture and the form of plants.      The research that I propose addresses the reproductive diversity of plants from complementary perspectives, from the function of specific traits to the evolution of sexual systems and plant form. This hypothesis-driven research includes new approaches to old problems and exposes previously unexplored subjects to incisive inquiry. In addition to these fundamental contributions to understanding floral diversity, this research will educate at least seven post-graduate scientists and provide research experience for at least eighteen undergraduate students.