Sexual antagonism in the pistil varies among populations of a hermaphroditic mixed-mating plant

Sexual conflicts and their evolutionary outcomes may be influenced by population-specific features such as mating system and ecological context; however, very few studies have investigated the link between sexual conflict and mating system. The self-compatible, mixed-mating hermaphrodite Collinsia heterophylla (Plantaginaceae) is thought to exhibit a sexual conflict over timing of stigma receptivity. This conflict involves 1) delayed stigma receptivity, which intensifies pollen competition, and 2) early fertilization forced by pollen, which reduces seed set. We investigated the potential for the conflict to occur under field conditions and performed greenhouse crosses within eight populations to assess its consistency across populations. Flowers were visited, and produced seeds after pollination, at all developmental stages, suggesting that the conflict can be of significance under natural conditions. In the greenhouse, early pollination imposed costs in all populations. Overall, the ti...