To self or to clone? Southern European woodland strawberry genotypes self-fertilize, whereas eastern European genotypes clone in a pollinator-free common garden
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Premise of study
Under increasingly frequent pollinator-limited environments, plants need to rely on modes of reproductive assurance such as selfing and cloning. However, few studies investigate the interplay between selfing and cloning in plants that can do both. Here, we explore mechanisms determining the relative expression of selfing and cloning throughout the European distribution of the wild woodland strawberry ( Fragaria vesca ) under a pollinator-free environment.
Methods
We established an outdoor common garden with 121 woodland strawberry genotypes from across Europe and excluded them from pollinators. For each genotype, we recorded reproductive traits and performed hand-pollination treatments.
Key Results
We found a weak trade-off between cloning and selfing, driven by increased seed and fruit provisioning rather than flower production. The capacity to autonomously self-fertilize was determined by the lateral proximity of the anthers to the pistils (lateral herkogamy), but not by early inbreeding depression. Genotypes sampled at lower latitudes and altitudes were better at self-fertilizing and had smaller petals. The propensity to clone increased towards the east, where genotypes also had smaller petals, particularly at higher latitudes.
Conclusion
At the species level, we detected a trade-off between the propensity for clonal reproduction and the capacity for self-fertilization. At a continental scale, the capacity to self-fertilize varied along a north–south gradient, whereas clonal propensity varied along an east–west gradient. Our results suggest that these two modes of reproductive assurance may compensate for reduced pollinator attractiveness (smaller petals) in regions where each mode is most strongly expressed.
