Variations in Seed Size Within Populations of Silene dioica (L.) Clairv. in Relation to Habitat

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Abstract
The sizes of seeds in populations of Silene dioica were compared including observations on variation within and between plants in a population growing wild in south-east England. The mean seed weights of different populations from Europe displayed variations, which contrasted with rather stable means found in a population sampled in 4 different years, or compared when growing under natural conditions or in cultivation. Variations from plant to plant within a population, between populations within a particular area, and between different capsules from the same plant were similar in range and distribution to the differences found between populations. Seed size did not appear to be correlated with season of maturity, level of dormancy, or position on the flower truss, but significant differences were found in mean seed weights from different individual plants. The results are discussed in relation to the natural distribution of the species, and its role as an opportunist species inhabiting the edges of deciduous woodlands.