Long-distance dispersal and self-incompatibility

Abstract

There is a paucity of self-incompatible plants in the flora of oceanic islands. In New Zealand, the only plants so far known to be self-incompatible are several species of grasses and two dicotyledonous species. None of these have yet been studied for genetic control of incompatibility. Monocotyledons, including grasses, are known to have the “complementary system” of self-incompatibility whereas most dicotyledonous species have the “independent system”. It is suggested that the complementary system of self-incompatibility has special features which aid in colonisation after long-distance dispersal. These New Zealand self-incompatible species may therefore be found to have a complementary control system.