Life history evolution, species differences, and phenotypic plasticity in hemiparasitic eyebrights (Euphrasia).

Abstract

Species delimitation in parasitic organisms is challenging because traits used to identify species are often plastic and vary depending on the host. Here, we use species from a recent radiation of generalist hemiparasitic Euphrasia to investigate trait variation and trait plasticity. We tested whether Euphrasia species show reliable trait differences, investigated whether these differences correspond to life history trade-offs between growth and reproduction, and quantified plasticity in response to host species.