Volatile but persistent co-existence of self-compatibility and self-incompatibility in plants

Plants employ diverse mating strategies, including self- and cross-fertilization or their mixture. Despite the ubiquity of mixed-mating – the use of both self- and cross-fertilization in the same population – its evolutionary sources and dynamic stability remain elusive. Here we study self-incompatibility, where self-fertilization is disabled by molecular recognition, and enabled if mutations disrupt this recognition. Using population-level stochastic simulations, we model the effects of two main parameters on the prevailing mating mode: promiscuity of molecular recognition and inbreeding depression – penalizing self-compatibility. We reveal a phase diagram with three regimes: complete self-incompatibility (SI), complete self-compatibility (SC), and a mixture combining both. The latter mixed mode, described here for the first time, exhibits vigorous, non-decaying fluctuations in the proportions of individuals occupying either mating mode. Finally, we find that transitions between mating modes are often reversible. This study offers new insight into the evolutionary dynamics of plant reproductive systems.