Patterns of Pre‐ and Postfertilization Resource Allocation Within an Inflorescence: Evidence for Interovary Competition

I investigated the distribution of ovules and seeds on the inflorescence of Solanum Carolinense L. (Solanaceae). Ovules did not appear to vary in size, but the number of ovules per ovary and the size of ovaries decreased significantly along the inflorescence (from basal to distal positions). Experimental removal of basal ovaries at an early stage resulted in increased ovary size and number of ovules in distal ovaries, suggesting a dynamic system of control. Mature fruits displayed a similar pattern of decreasing mass and seed number with position along the infructescence. It is not clear whether the patterns of allocation to fruits are related to the patterns of allocation to ovaries in a simple cause‐and‐effect relationship. However, a satisfying hypothesis that explains these and other patterns of allocation is that they are all manifestations of, or adaptations to, interovary competition along the inflorescence.