Water relations of Calycanthus flowers: hydraulic conductance, capacitance, and embolism resistance

Abstract

Introduction Introduction Materials Methods Results Discussion Conclusions References Flowers are developmentally and morphologically complex structures whose primary function is to promote sexual reproduction (Specht & Bartlett 2009). Coevolution with animal pollinators has long been considered the primary selective agent responsible for the many, diverse forms apparent among angiosperm flowers (Sprengel 1793, 1996; Fenster et al. 2004). Yet, floral adaptations to pollinators may not be as frequent as commonly considered, and non-pollinator agents of selection, such as the resource costs of building and maintaining flowers, may also influence floral form and function (Herrera 1996; Strauss & Whittall 2006). Fo ...