Does pollen form follow function? Effects of stigma type, pollination mode and habitat on pollen morphological traits

Abstract Pollen grains display striking morphological diversity, yet the ecological drivers underlying this variation remain poorly understood. We tested whether pollen morphology reflects adaptation to pollination mode, habitat moisture and stigma type, three ecological factors that impose selective pressures on pollen dispersal, desiccation tolerance and hydration dynamics. We analysed 13 morphological traits for 1151 Central European angiosperm species using phylogenetic regression models. Tr