The evolution of mating strategies in flowering plants

Mating strategies in flowering plants are governed by several classes of floral adaptations. Floral design and display primarily influence the quantity and quality of pollen dispersed during pollination, whereas physiological mechanisms acting in the pistil screen pollen receipt by rejecting certain male gametophytes, especially self pollen. Selective mechanisms that influence the evolution of plant mating strategies include inbreeding depression, pollen discounting, and the optimal allocation of resources to female and male function. New Insights on the origin, evolution and function of reproductive adaptations have come from integrating studies that link microevolutionary processes to macroevolutionary patterns.