Gynodioecy /ˌdʒɪnoʊdaɪˈiːsi/ is a rare breeding system that is found in certain flowering plant species in which female and hermaphroditic plants coexist within a population. Gynodioecy is the evolutionary intermediate between hermaphroditism (exhibiting both female and male parts) and dioecy (having two distinct morphs: male and female).
Gynodioecy is sometimes considered a mixed mating systems comparable with trioecy and androdioecy.[1] It is also considered a dimorphic sexual system alongside dioecy and androdioecy.[2]
Gynodioecy occurs as a result of transmission of nuclear (nuclear male sterility) or, more commonly,[3] extra-nuclear (e.g. cytoplasmic male sterility) mutated alleles, which prevents pollen production, while keeping the female reproductive parts intact; other members of the species population don't inherit the mutated alleles, thus remaining hermaphrodites. In some cases, a combination of both nuclear and extra-nuclear mechanisms is observed in determining the sterile phenotype. Gynodioecy is extremely rare, with fewer than 1% of angiosperm species exhibiting the breeding system. Some notable taxa that exhibit a gynodioecious mating system include Beta vulgaris (wild beet), Lobelia siphilitica, Silene, and Lamiaceae.
- ^ Fusco G, Minelli A (2019-10-10). The Biology of Reproduction. Cambridge University Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-1-108-49985-9.
- ^ Torices, Rubén; Méndez, Marcos; Gómez, José María (2011). "Where do monomorphic sexual systems fit in the evolution of dioecy? Insights from the largest family of angiosperms". New Phytologist. 190 (1): 234–248. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03609.x. ISSN 1469-8137. PMID 21219336.
- ^ Dufay, Mathilde; Billard, Emmanuelle (2012-02-01). "How much better are females? The occurrence of female advantage, its proximal causes and its variation within and among gynodioecious species". Annals of Botany. 109 (3): 505–519. doi:10.1093/aob/mcr062. ISSN 0305-7364. PMC 3278283. PMID 21459860.