Consistent Individuality in the Timing and Magnitude of Flowering by Adenanthos obovatus (Proteaceae)

Abstract

The patterns of flowering of 58 individually marked Adenanthos obovatus Labill. plants were recorded from 1983 to 1990 near Perth, Western Australia. Individuals started to flower asynchronously but most then continued to flower until the end of the nine-month flowering season each year. Individuals were highly consistent between years both in the numbers of flowers they produced and in their onset and peak of flowering relative to other members of the population. This consistency was retained after rapid regeneration by 24 plants cut back to ground level during one summer. The number of flowers borne by an individual was not related to its above-ground biomass but to its duration of flowering, and plants bearing more flowers set more seed. These traits may be related to the pollination of this modally outcrossing species by a resident small nectarivorous bird.