Reproductive ecology of invasive plants Oenothera laciniata (Onagraceae) : evaluated with flower bagging treatments

Abstract

To evaluate the reproductive ecology of Oenothera laciniata that is an invasive plant from North America, field observations and flower bagging treatments were conducted on flower bud at two populations. As a result, there was no significant difference in the number of seed productions per fruit among treatments. We found that the plants have auto-and self-compatible pollination before the flower opening. In the original country of Oenothera, its reproductive ecology has been well studied and then several species showed "Permanent Translocation Heterozygotes (PTH)". This genetic system produces the seeds that are genetically identical to their parent plant. Our results indicated that O. laciniata has been expanded its distribution area in Japan by the combination of auto-and self-compatible pollination and PTH.