1. The Resource Economy of Plant Reproduction -- P. Staffan Karlsson and Marcos Mendez -- I. Introduction -- II. Historical Prelude -- III. The Principle of Allocation -- IV. Reproductive Effort -- A. Definitions -- V. Problems in Determining Reproductive Allocation -- A. The Currency -- B. Definition of Reproductive versus Non-reproductive Plant Parts -- C. When Should Reproductive Allocation be Measured? -- VI. Dynamic Resource Allocation -- VII. Empirical Patterns in Reproductive Allocation -- A. RA and Life History -- B. RA in relation to Succession, Competition and Disturbance -- C. RA in Relation to Environmental Stress -- D. Genetic Variation in RA -- E. What Does the Evidence Say? -- VIII. Costs of Reproduction -- A. Methodological Issues -- B. Quantitative Links Between Reproductive Allocation and Costs -- IX. Conclusions -- References -- 2. Meristem Allocation as a Means of Assessing Reproductive Allocation -- Kari Lehtiäl and Annika Sunåds Larsson -- I. Abstract -- II. Introduction -- III. Developmental and Physiological Background of Meristem Allocation -- IV. Meristem Structure and Generation of Plant Architecture -- V. Axillary Bud Formation and Subsequent Development of the Bud -- VI. Genetics and Physiology of the Floral Transition -- VII. Meristem Types -- VIII. Meristem Models -- IX. The Assumptions of the Models -- X. The Impact of Meristem Allocation on Reproductive Allocation -- XI. Plasticity of Meristem Allocation -- XII. Major Genes of Meristem Allocation -- XIII. Resource Levels and Meristem Limitation -- XIV. The Function of Dormant Buds -- XV. Meristem Allocation as a Surrogate in Estimation of Resource Allocation -- XVI. Conclusions -- References -- 3. It Never Rains but then it Pours: The Diverse Effects of Water on Flower Integrity and Function -- Candace Galen -- I. Abstract -- II. Introduction -- III. The Functional Ecology of Water in the Life of a Flower -- A. Water Use by Flowers -- B. The Water Cost of Flowers -- C. Water as a regulator of Flower Microclimate -- D. Water as a conduit for Environmental Sources of Flower Damage -- IV. Water Relations and the Evolution of Floral Traits -- A. Floral Traits as Resource Sinks: The Resource Cost Hypothesis -- B. Floral Traits and Water in the Microclimate: Parental Environmental Effects -- C. Plastic Responses of Floral Traits to Water Availability: Impact on Plant/Pollinator Interactions -- V. Conclusions -- References -- 4. The Allometry of Reproductive Allocation -- Gregory Cheplick -- I. Introduction -- II. Definition and Analysis of RA in Relation to Allometry -- III. Allometry Theory and RA -- IV. Relation of RA to Relative Fitness -- V. Allometry of Modules -- VI. Allometry of RA and Plant Life History -- VII. Determinants of Allometry -- VIII. Conclusions -- References -- 5. Sex-Specific Physiology and Its Implications for the Cost of Reproduction -- Andrea L. Case and Tia-Lynn Ashman -- I. Introduction -- II. Sexual Polymorphisms -- III. Costs of Reproduction -- A. Male Costs -- B. Female Costs -- C. Common Flower Costs -- D. Demographic Costs -- IV. Avenues for Mitigating the Cost of Reproduction -- A. Photosynthetic Reproductive Organs -- B. Increased Vegetative Photosynthesis -- C. Increased Resource Uptake and Water Use Effeciency -- D. Resorption -- V. Predictions for Sex-Specific Physiology Based on Differential Reproductive Costs -- A. Predictions for Females and Males -- B. Predictions for Hermaphrodites in Monomorphic Sexual Systems: Cosexuality. Monoecy and Diphasy -- C. Predictions for Hermaphrodites in Dimorphic Sexual Systems: Gynodioecy and Subdioecy -- VI. Potential Causes of Sex-Specific Physiology -- A. Physiological Differences Reflect Plastic Responses to Contrasting Reproductive Allocation between Sexes -- B. Selection Modifies Physiological Traits after the Separation of the Sexes to Meet Differential Reproductive Costs -- C. Physiology Changes as a Correlated Response to Selection on Other Traits (e.g. via Pleiotropy or Linkage) -- VII. Available Data on Sex-Specific Physiology -- VIII. Recommendations for Future Study -- References -- 6. Time of Flowering, Costs of Reproduction and Reproductive Output in Annuals -- Tadaki Hirose, Toshihiko Kinugasa, and Yukinori Shitaka -- I. Introduction -- II. Modelling of reproductive output -- III. Timing of reproduction -- A. Effect of nutrient availability -- B. Effect of germination dates -- C. Effect of change in flowering time -- IV. Costs of reproduction -- A. Reproductive effort and the relative somatic cost -- B. Nitrogen use efficiency -- V. Reproductive nitrogen -- VI. Conclusion -- References -- 7. The Shape of the Trade-off Function between Reproduction and Growth -- Edward G. Reekie and German Avila-Sakar -- I. Introduction -- II. Methods of Describing the Trade-off Function -- III. The Shape of the Trade-off Function in Plantago -- IV. Impact of Reproduction on Resource Uptake -- V. Differences in the Resource Requirements of Vegetative versus Reproductive Tissue -- VI. Effect of Nitrogen versus Light Limitation -- VII. Effect of Growth Pattern -- VIII. Conclusion -- References -- 8. On Size, Fecundity and Fitness in Competing Plants -- Lonnie W. Aarssen -- I. Introduction -- II. Defining the Components of Competitive Ability for Between-Species Plant Competition -- III. Predicting Fecundity Under Competition -- IV. Relationships Among Plant Traits Affecting Fecundity Under Competition: Alternative Ways to Compete Intensively While Avoiding Competitive Exclusion -- V. Preliminary Empirical Tests -- VI. Predicting Winner from Rank Orders in Plant Competition: Lessons from Sports Competition -- VII. Conclusions.