4.5. Expression of andromonoecy
Andronomonoecy is rare in angiosperms, but it frequently found in Apiales. The feature derived several times independently in this family (e.g. Schlessman 2010). The higher percentage of perfect flowers observed in terminal umbels. The percentage of staminate flowers increases with age in higher branch orders (Reuther and Claßen-Bockhoff 2010, 2013, Ajani and Claßen-Bockhoff 2021). The experimental treatments showed that andromoneny genetically fixed even under simulating environmental factors like removing the terminal umbel. Based on these data, the andormonoecius species respond to the environment easily by transforming of staminate to perfect flowers. It occur in last stages which allowing the plants easily respond to the environment changes (Reuther and Claßen-Bockhoff 2013). It exactly found in Dorema aucheri and Ferula hezarlalehzarica , two perennial endemic andromonoecious in Iran (Ajani et al. 2016).
In Di. persica, the initiation of sexual morphs show striking resemblances except ovule abortion in staminate flowers that is a main reason for expression of andromonoecy. The staminate flowers, therefore, cannot serve as substitution for perfect flowers under environmental changes that allowed the plant to set only one large fruit in each umbellet. Like Echinophora spinosa , the degree of fruit set is likely low (≤10%) due to constant sexual morph flowers (90% staminate) when compared by andromonoecius species (Reuther and Claßen-Bockhoff 2010). The sexual ratio of four staminate to one perfect flower (Doust 1980), therefore, not confirmed in Di. persica . The low fruit set, however, is not a threatening factor since the large and dense populations are growing without destructive factors (own observation). This finding previously confirmed in Red Data Book of Iran where its conservation status categorized as “low risk” species (Jalili and Jamzad 1999).
In andronomoecous species, the role of staminate flowers is donating pollen grains and attracting the pollinators (Schlessman et al. 2004, Web 1981). In D. persica , it may likely intensified by diverse club-like organs which attract manifold insects specially Coleoptera (own observation). The functional role of the club-like organs, however, needs comprehensive field studies in future.