Data from: Consequences of multiple inflorescences and clonality for pollinator behavior and plant mating

Angiosperms engage in distributed reproduction, producing sex organs in
multiple flowers on one or more inflorescences, including on different
physical individuals of clonal plants. We investigated the effects of
alternative deployments of artificial flowers for pollinator behavior and
simulated pollen dispersal. Plants presented 18 flowers on either one
inflorescence (1-I plants) or three inflorescences (3-I plants) spaced
either closely or widely. Bees often skipped inflorescences on 3-I plants,
visiting an average of 1.5 fewer flowers overall than on 1-I plants. In
simulations with all flowers receiving and donating pollen, this behavior
caused 7% less geitonogamy for 3-I plants, contradicting a common
supposition that clonality increases geitonogamy. Bees generally moved
upward within inflorescences and downward between inflorescences.
Consequently, in simulations, segregation of pollen receipt to lower
flowers and pollen donation to upper flowers reduced self-pollination and
enhanced pollen export much more for 1-I plants. Nectar volume per flower
had little relevant influence on bee behavior. The observed bee responses
and simulated mating results suggest that production of multiple
inflorescences and clonality promote pollination quality when flowers
simultaneously receive and donate pollen, whereas a single large
inflorescence is advantageous when segregation of sex roles among flowers
reduces geitonogamy effectively.