Flowering overlap as a predictor of natural hybridization frequency in nature
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | We used all 11 Cirsium species (Asteraceae) growing in the Czech Republic as a model group. Based on 1136 herbarium specimens of Cirsium hybrids found in the Czech herbaria, we estimated the frequencies of 30 hybrid combinations in nature, and then we compared these frequencies with experimentally estimated overlaps in the blossoming of individual Cirsium species pairs. Samples of species were cultivated in three experimental gardens, situated in regions with different climates. We tested three different formulas as potential predictors of the frequency of natural hybrids: (i) the overlap in relative flowering intensity (expressed as percentage from the yearly maximum of simultaneously flowering heads), (ii) the overlap in absolute flowering intensity (expressed as number of simultaneously flowering heads per one shoot), (iii) the simple overlap in flowering time. The second formula was shown to be the best predictor. |
| Related projects: |