The mating system of liatris helleri (Asteraceae), a threatened plant species

Abstract

Multilocus outcrossing rates were estimated for seven populations of Liatris helleri, a rare insect-pollinated composite. The mean multilocus outcrossing rate was 0.97 (SE = 0.02). None of the populations examined had multilocus outcrossing rates that differed significantly from 1.00, suggesting that the species is self-incompatible. Seed set was insignificant for 770 bagged floral heads, lending further support for this view. A small but significant amount of biparental inbreeding was detected in three of the seven populations. © 1995 The Genetical Society of Great Britain.