XVI International Botanical Congess

Ruellia succulenta is an herbaceous perennial plant endemic to the pine rocklands of southern Florida. The main question being addressed in my study is how habitat fragment size and isolation are related to pollination and fecundity. This study will follow the reproductive fitness of individually tagged plants at control sites in 'pristine' Everglades National Park and plants located in pine rockland fragments of small, medium, and large size classes (small < 3 ha, medium 3-9 ha, and large > 9 ha). The breeding system of the study plant will be determined by a preliminary study in Everglades National Park, and in the greenhouse. The inbreeding depression study will entail collecting open pollinated seed from all eight sites. Degree of inbreeding depression will be inferred from the differences in seed germination and seedling biomass.