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Dryad

Data from: Unisexual flowers as a resolution to intralocus sexual conflict in hermaphrodites

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Abstract

In dioecious populations, males and females may evolve different trait values to increase fitness through their respective sexual functions. Because the two sexual functions are expressed by the same individual in hermaphroditic populations, resolving sexual conflict is potentially more difficult. Here, we show that the modularity of plants may allow hermaphrodites to resolve sexual conflict because modules with different genders can promote fitness through their specialized sexual functions by expressing a correspondingly optimal trait value. We analyzed the flowering phenology, sex allocation, and selection gradients on floral traits of flowers of the andromonoecious plant Pulsatilla alpina, which produces both bisexual and male flowers. Our results indicate that strong protogyny prevents early bisexual flowers from profiting from high siring opportunities early in the reproductive season at a time when male flowers are able to achieve high siring success. Andromonoecy therefore resolves sexual conflict experienced by bisexual flowers in strongly protogynous populations. Our study illustrates the resolution of sexual conflict arising from phenological constraints via modular divergence in sex allocation. We discuss the extent to which modular variation in sex allocation in species with other sexual systems involving bisexuality may be explained similarly.