Floral traits that increase attractiveness to pollinators are predicted to evolve through selection on male function rather
than on female function. To determine the importance of male-biased selection in dioecious
Wurmbea dioica, we examined sexual dimorphism in flower size and number and the effects of these traits on pollinator visitation and reproductive
success of male and female plants. Males produced more and larger flowers than did females. Bees and butterflies responded
to this dimorphism and visited males more frequently than females, although flies did not differentiate between the sexes.
Within sexes, insect pollinators made more visits to and visited more flowers on plants with many flowers. However, visits
per flower did not vary with flower number, indicating that visitation was proportional to the number of flowers per plant.
When flower number was experimentally held constant, visitation increased with flower size under sunny but not overcast conditions.
Flower size but not number affected pollen removal per flower in males and deposition in females. In males, pollen removal
increased with flower size 3 days after flowers opened, but not after 6 days when 98% of pollen was removed. Males with larger
flowers therefore, may have higher fitness not because pollen removal is more complete, but because pollen is removed more
rapidly providing opportunities to pre-empt ovules. In females, pollen deposition increased with flower size 3 days but not
6 days after flowers opened. At both times, deposition exceeded ovule production by four-fold or more, and for 2 years seed
production was not limited by pollen. Flower size had no effect on seed production per plant and was negatively related to
percent seed set, implying a tradeoff between allocation to attraction and reproductive success. This indicates that larger
flower size in females is unlikely to increase fitness. In both sexes, gamete production was positively correlated with flower
size. In males, greater pollen production would increase the advantage of large flowers, but in females more ovules may represent
a resource cost. Selection to increase flower size and number in
W. dioica has probably occurred through male rather than female function.
Key words Floral evolution - Sexual dimorphism - Pollination - Dioecy - Reproduction
Received: 15 June 1997 / Accepted: 12 February 1998