The reproductive capacity of Anigozanthos manglesii D. Don, A. humilis Lindl. and their hybrids in a wild population

Abstract

The flower production, fruit set, seed set and seed germination of parental and hybrid Anigozanthos individuals from the Gingin cemetery, Western Australia, were investigated to establish whether differences in reproductive capacity could have been responsible for observed short-term numerical changes in the population. A. manglesii had a six- to ninefold reproductive advantage over A. humilis due to greater seed set and better germination. F₁ hybrids and backcrosses had reproductive capacities equivalent to or slightly better than A. humilis. The agreement between calculated reproductive capacity values and the trend of numerical changes in the cemetery supports the conclusion that differences in reproductive performance have played a significant role in the short-term dynamics of the population.