The Amazing, Shrinking Wild Pansy

A study in the journal New Phytologist looked at Field pansy (Viola arvensis) flowers, growing in a field outside Paris. These blooms were 10% smaller than plants grown from seeds collected in the 1990s and 2000s. They also produce 20% less nectar than plants grown from the older seeds (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/20/flowers-giving-up-on-scarce-insects-and-evolving-to-self-pollinate-say-scientists). Insect pollinators are markedly declining. It appears that the Field pansy is 'giving up' on them and relying more on self-fertilisation for its propagation. This, of course, will reduce genetic diversity in the species, perhaps making them less capable of dealing with environmental change.