Dioecy and monoecy in the flora of Sri Lanka and their evolutionary correlations to endemism, growth form, fruit type, seed number and flower size

Authors

  • W.T.P.S.K. Senarath Department of Botany, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v15i1.907

Keywords:

Flora, Evolutionary correlations, Dioecy, Monoecy, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The frequency of dioecy and monoecy and the ecological correlates of each sexual system were examined for the flora of Sri Lanka, a tropical continental island. Of the 3,529 species in the total flora, 7.05% are dioecious, 10.25% are monoecious, 1.7% are polygamodioecious, 1.9% are polygamous and 79.1% are hermaphrodites. Study was carried out to test the null hypothesis that the proportionate distribution of dioecious and monoecious taxa in endemism, growth form, fruit type, seed number or flower size was not significantly different from that for the entire flora. Both monoecious and dioecious species in the Sri Lankan flora are significantly associated with the growth form, fruit type, seed number and flower size, whereas only dioecy is associated with endemism. Dioecious species are favored by trees and small flowers, whereas monoecious species are favored by herbs and minute flowers. Both dioecious and monoecious species are, however, associated with fleshy fruits suggesting that animal dispersal of fruits is favored in the Sri Lankan flora. 

Keywords: Flora, Evolutionary correlations, Dioecy, Monoecy, Sri Lanka

DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v15i1.907

Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 15(1): 13-19, 2008 (June)

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.
Abstract
1430
PDF
1097

Downloads

How to Cite

Senarath, W. (2008). Dioecy and monoecy in the flora of Sri Lanka and their evolutionary correlations to endemism, growth form, fruit type, seed number and flower size. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy, 15(1), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v15i1.907

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2008)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright on any research article is transferred in full to Bangladesh Association of Plant Taxonomists upon publication in Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy. The copyright transfer includes the right to reproduce and distribute the article in any form of reproduction (printing, electronic media or any other form). 

Creative Commons Licence
Articles in the Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy are Open Access articles published under the Creative Commons CC BY License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

This license permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. It is author's responsibility to obtain the permission from appropriate authority if figures are reused from a previously published document.