Factores que influyen en la expresión sexual de Croton wagneri L, un arbusto monoico clave en la persistencia de la comunidad vegetal del matorral seco en Catamayo.

Abstract

Abstract: The expression of female function in dioecious plants usually comes from the elevation gradient, the size of the plant and the population density. However, few studies have evaluated this relationship in monoecious species. Our study evaluated the influence of plant size, intraspecific population density and elevation on femininity and, the spatial distribution of femininity in the unique species, Croton wagneri. The spatial coordinates of each plant, the size of the plant and the number of female and male flowers were recorded in ten plots at elevations of 1400 and 1700 msnm in a dry scrub south of Ecuador. The size of the plant and the intra-specific density positively affected femininity. No evidence of the effect of elevation on femininity was found in C. wagneri. The spatial distribution of femininity showed random patterns in most of the plots studied.