Clonal growth is a common feature among plant species with about 70 % of all species displaying some form of clonal growth. Because clonal growth strongly affects the spatial and temporal distribution of flowers, it can be expected that extensive clonal growth also influences patterns of pollen dispersal and outcross mating opportunities, and therefore may affect mating system evolution in plant species. However, the direction in which clonal growth and architecture affect mating system evolution remains to a large extent puzzling. I’m particularly interested in 1) the key drivers of variation in clonal diversity across a range of populations within single plant species and across plant species; 2) relationships between mating system, clonal architecture and measures of clonal diversity; and 3) male and female fitness costs related to clonal growth. In this research project, a formal meta-analysis approach will be combined with field research and genetic laboratory analyses to elucidate the role of extensive clonal growth on the evolution of mating systems in clonal plant