Spatiotemporal interaction of risk-spreading strategies for a seed-dimorphic plant

For plants, the risk of stress-induced reproductive failure can be spread temporally and spatially by increasing the variation in stress tolerance and dispersibility, respectively. Yet, we have limited understanding on how intraspecific stress tolerance can be interactively adjusted by these two risk-spreading strategies. Seed-dimorphic plants, which are frequently found in stressful and fluctuating environments, can produce dimorphic offspring with different stress tolerances and dispersibilities. Using a seed-dimorphic Asteraceae, Synedrella nodiflora, we illustrated how maternal-drought-induced changes in drought tolerance and dispersibility may interactively increase intraspecific drought tolerance variation, and thus potentially improve adaptation to various water conditions. Maternal drought stress increased the mean or variation of drought tolerance of the less-dispersible (R-type) offspring, whereas it had variable effects on the drought tolerance of the more-dispersible (D-type..., 1. Experimental data
(1) Seed collection in field
The mature seeds of Synedrella from two distinct natural habitats in Guangzhou and Zhuhai, China, were collected in January and February 2018 (see details in supporting information Table S1). While both habitats were beneath trees along roadsides, one had a relatively dry environment with a Synedrella monoculture (hereafter the dry habitat), while the other was close to a stream hosting a species-diverse plant community (hereafter the wet habitat). In each habitat, we collected seeds from four individuals (F0) of similar size. The collected seeds were carefully separated by seed morphs, which were then air-dried and stored in paper bags at room temperature (approximately 20 ℃) for about four months prior to the greenhouse experiment. In total, we collected 16 replicated seed sources (2 seed morphs × 4 F0 individuals × 2 habitats).
(2) Greenhouse experiment
A greenhouse experiment was conducted at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China ..., , # Spatiotemporal interaction of risk-spreading strategies for a seed-dimorphic plant

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.612jm64bj](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.612jm64bj)

## Description of the data and file structure

**1. Seed mass of maternal plants.csv**

Dataset for the dry mass of seeds collected from field.

Population = population origin

Seed morph = seed morph

Maternal family ID = ID of the maternal family

Seed mass per grain (mg) = seed mass per grain (mg)

**2. Offspring drought tolerance.csv**

Dataset for the drought tolerance of F2 generation.

Population = population origin

Maternal seed morph = seed morph of the maternal individual

Maternal family ID = ID of the maternal family

Maternal environment = the water treatment imposed on the maternal individual

Offspring seed morph = seed morph of the offspring individual

Total biomass under drought-stressed treatment (mg) = offspring total biomass under drought-stressed treatment (mg)

Total biomass under well-watered tr...