We investigated Fraxinus excelsior breeding system using field data collected in a natural population and in a seed orchard. First, we attested functional trioecy (co-occurrence of males, hermaphrodites and females), with males producing pollen, hermaphrodites producing both pollen and seeds simultaneously, and females producing seeds. Second, we found that the reproductive system of F. excelsior was not labile, as sex expression seemed to be stable through time. Third, gender is genetically determined since different trees belonging to the same clone in the orchard exhibit similar sexual phenotypes.
Keywords: Fraxinus excelsior; Oleaceae; Plant breeding system; Système de reproduction; Trioecy; Trioécie.
Copyright © 2013 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.