Abstract
The presence or absence of seed wings in the genus Spergularia is interpreted evolutionarily by a comparative investigation of 48 species. The investigation of the variation in seed size, and the distribution of winged, unwinged and heteromorphic species according to life history, habitat type, water availability, salinity and geographical distribution of the species, showed that seed type is the strongest predictor of seed size. Winged seeds (exclusive of the wing) were on average larger than unwinged seeds. We suggest that the variation in seed wing occurrence may reflect selection on seed size instead of selection for seed dispersal per se, as previously hypothesized. Eleven of the investigated species produce heteromorphic seeds, and in contrast to the remaining species, which normally inhabit sandy or rocky places, these species occur most frequently in marshes. We thus conclude that the heteromorphism may have evolved as a means for differential dispersal by species living under conditions where secondary dispersal by water is important.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Seed type was the strongest predictor of seed size.
- Taxon
- Spergularia
Spergulariat0 - Organ / stage
- seede0
- Outcome
- seed sizee0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“seed type is the strongest predictor of seed size”
t0“Spergularia”
Claim · model-written summary
Winged seeds excluding wings were larger on average than unwinged seeds.
- Taxon
- SpergulariaSpergulariat0
- Organ / stage
- Winged seedse0
- Outcome
- seedse0
- Direction
- largere0
- Comparator
- unwinged seedse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Winged seeds (exclusive of the wing) were on average larger than unwinged seeds”
t0“Spergularia”
Claim · model-written summary
Eleven investigated species produced heteromorphic seeds.
- Taxon
- SpergulariaSpergulariat0
- Outcome
- heteromorphic seedse0
- Value
- Elevene0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Eleven of the investigated species produce heteromorphic seeds”
t0“Spergularia”
Claim · model-written summary
Heteromorphic species occurred most frequently in marshes, unlike the remaining species in sandy or rocky places.
- Taxon
- SpergulariaSpergulariat0
- Outcome
- occur most frequently in marshese0
- Setting
- marshese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“these species occur most frequently in marshes”
t0“Spergularia”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest variation in wing occurrence may reflect selection on seed size.
- Taxon
- SpergulariaSpergulariat0
- Outcome
- seed wing occurrencee0
- Qualifier
- selection on seed sizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“variation in seed wing occurrence may reflect selection on seed size instead of selection for seed dispersal per se”
t0“Spergularia”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that heteromorphism may have evolved for differential dispersal where water dispersal matters.
- Taxon
- SpergulariaSpergulariat0
- Outcome
- heteromorphisme0
- Qualifier
- differential dispersale0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“heteromorphism may have evolved as a means for differential dispersal by species living under conditions where secondary dispersal by water is important”
t0“Spergularia”