The Relationship Between Flowering Phenology and Seed Set in an Herbaceous Perennial Plant, Polemonium foliosissimum Gray

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Abstract
To assess the potential for evolutionary change in blooming time within a population of P. foliosissimum Gray (Polemoniaceae), flowering phenology, seed set and seed predation frequencies of individual plants were monitored from 1977-1981 in the Colorado [USA] Rocky Mountains. Flowering rank correlated significantly with average seed set per flower in only 1 of 4 yr. There was a significant (or nearly significant, P < .06) positive correlation between blooming time and total plant seed set in 3 of 4 yr. These positive correlations resulted from greater flower production by later-blooming plants. Thus, total seed set varied independently of seed production on a per blossom basis, indicating that seed set per flower should be used only with caution as a measure of the maternal component of plant fitness. The fairly consistent positive relationship between blooming time and total seed set indicates that directional selection for later flowering may be occurring in P. foliosissimum. Seed predation by Hylemya sp. (Anthomyiidae, Diptera) increases selection pressure more often than it offsets it. Significant, positive between-year correlations of flowering ranks of individuals, along with other inferential evidence, suggest that flowering time is likely to be heritable in P. foliosissimum.

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