The effect of resource integration on fitness related traits in a clonal dune perennial,Hydrocotyle bonariensis

Summary The costs and benefits of resource integration in Hydrocotyle bonariensis were examined by comparing severed and intact clones grown across multiple resource gradients. Basipetal movement of water, nitrogen and photosynthates was demonstrated to occur between two rhizome branch systems interconnecting hundreds of ramets within a clone. Hydrocotyle clones of this size and larger have been shown to span highly patchy and unpredictable resource conditions in coastal dune environments. The extensive movement of water and nitrogen to portions of a clone deficient in these resources, resulted in a significant net benefit to the clone in terms of fitness-related traits: total biomass, ramet proliferation and seed production. The translocation of photosynthates across light gradients allowed for sexual reproduction and clonal expansion in the shade although this incurred a net cost to the clone in terms of ramet and seed production.     

Nitrogen translocation in a clonal dune perennial,Hydrocotyle bonariensis

Summary Hydrocotyle bonariensis, a common rhizomatous perennial of coastal North Carolina, forms extensive clones in dune systems characterized by a patchy nitrogen distribution. An experiment was conducted in which Hydrocotyle clones were grown across artificially created soil nitrogen gradients to determine: (1) the effect of soil nitrogen availability and nitrogen translocation on clonal structure and (2) the costs versus benefits of nitrogen translocation as measured by sexual and clonal reproduction. Acropetal translocation of nitrogen resulted in highly significant benefits to clones growing from areas of high N to areas of low N. Limited basipetal translocation was also demonstrated. Hydrocotyle ramets responded to increased nitrogen availability, from either intraclonal translocation or immediate uptake from the soil, by producing branches. Nitrogen level, however, had no effect on internode distances. Clonal integration of nitrogen, in tandem with a plastic morphology, allow Hydrocotyle clones to expand across a nitrogen-limited dune environment and to locally exploit nitrogen patches when they are encountered.     

The effect of local resource availability and clonal integration on ramet functional morphology in Hydrocotyle bonariensis

Summary Within a physiologically integrated clone, the structure and functioning of an individual ramet is determined by: 1) the response of that ramet to its local environment and 2) its response to resource integration within the clone. In a multifactorial experiment, Hydrocotyle bonariensis ramets were grown in limiting resource environments with and without the benefit of basipetal resource movement from another branch of the clone. Ramets were analyzed for their morphological responses to variation in local light, water and nitrogen availability and to the superimposed effect of resource integration on these conditions. The expression of ramet morphology, from induction to development, was highly plastic in response to variable local resource availability. Resource integration changed a ramet's local response in a variety of ways depending on the resource(s) being translocated and the character involved. Among leaf characteristics (leaf weight, petiole height, blade area), resource translocation into the shade resulted in an enhancement of the local response. Similarly, the translocation of nitrogen and water generally increased clonal proliferation and sexual reproduction among ramets. In contrast, the translocation of water reversed the effect of local low water conditions on ramets by inhibiting root production. Some characters such as internode distance and leaf allometry were unaffected by integration. The maintenance of connections between ramets as a Hydrocotyle clone expands allows for resource sharing among widely separated ramets and can result in an integrated morpological response to a resource environment that is patchy in time and space.     

Effects of atmospheric humidity on net photosynthesis,transpiration, and stomatal resistance

Rhizomes ofHydrocotyle plants from three contrasting habitats were cloned and the ramets grown under controlled environmental conditions. Measurements of net photosynthesis, transpiration, and total leaf diffusion resistance were used to examine possible physiological adaptations to specific field environments. Increasing dryness of the growth chamber environment had large effects on gas exchange (CO₂ and water vapor) and on total diffusion resistance of plants from a pond, moderate effects on plants from a mesic forest, but plants from a coastal sand dune were unaffected by the experimentally imposed dryness. Thus the 3 Hydrocotyle types demonstrated adaptive physiological reponses to their specific field habitats. Periodic stomatal oscillations were induced in ramets from the pond by sharply increasing irradiance, but the adaptiveness of the oscillations cannot be determined with the evidence at hand.No stomatal closure could be induced by atmospheric dryness alone as long as soil and plant dessication were prevented. There were no observable differences in stomatal response to increasing atmospheric vapor pressure deficits.     

Clonal integration in Fragaria chiloensis differs between populations: ramets from grassland are selfish

In plants, only species with clonal growth are able to directly transfer resources between otherwise independent units of the same genetic individual. A simple conceptual model of plant performance as a function of internal resource supply and environmental resource availability suggests that resource sharing between ramets within clones is likely to be disadvantageous in uniform habitats and advantageous in patchy ones. It was therefore hypothesized that clones in populations from relatively uniform habitats will have been selected for low rates of resource sharing between ramets compared to clones in populations from patchier habitats. In coastal northern California, the clonal herb Fragaria chiloensis is common both in grasslands, where resources are relatively uniform, and on sand dunes, where resources are more patchy. It was predicted that clones from a grassland population of Fragaria would have “selfish” ramets with low rates of resource sharing compared to clones from an adjacent dune population. Ramets were subjected to contrasting light levels with and without connection between ramets. Patterns of biomass accumulation were consistent with the prediction. This appears to be the first report of genetically based variation in patterns of resource sharing in clonal plants. It supports the idea that these patterns are locally selected to increase plant performance in habitats with different patterns of resource availability. Received: 19 August 1998 / Accepted: 4 March 1999     

克隆整合对无芒雀麦在异质性盐分环境中存活和生长的影响

无芒雀麦是浑善达克沙地植物群落中占优势的多年生根茎禾草.研究了克隆整合特性对无芒雀麦在异质性盐分环境中存活和生长的影响.结果表明,克隆整合显著提高了无芒雀麦分株在高盐环境中的存活能力,耗-益分析表明无芒雀麦在高盐斑块中分株的生物量、分株数、根茎节数和根茎总长显著受益于克隆整合,而与之相连的非盐分斑块中的分株却没有产生显著的损耗.因而,克隆整合特性是无芒雀麦对异质性环境形成的重要适应对策,它使无芒雀麦能够扩展到不适合植物生长的高盐分斑块中,从而增加了无芒雀麦在浑善达克沙地中的存活和生长,提高了其在半干旱沙化地区的适合度.     

Nutrient addition does not increase the benefits of clonal integration in an invasive plant spreading from open patches into plant communities

• One benefit of clonal integration is that resource translocation between connected ramets enhances the growth of the ramets grown under stressful conditions, but whether such resource translocation reduces the performance of the ramets grown under favourable conditions has not produced consistent results. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that resource translocation to recipient ramets may reduce the performance of donor ramets when resources are limiting but not when resources are abundant.
• We grew Mikania micrantha stolon fragments (each consisting of two ramets, either connected or not connected) under spatially heterogeneous competition conditions such that the developmentally younger, distal ramets were grown in competition with a plant community and the developmentally older, proximal ramets were grown without competition. For half of the stolon fragments, slow‐release fertiliser pellets were applied to both the distal and proximal ramets.
• Under both the low and increased soil nutrient conditions, the biomass, leaf number and stolon length of the distal ramets were higher, and those of the proximal ramets were lower when the stolon internode was intact than when it was severed. For the whole clone, the biomass, leaf number and stolon length did not differ between the two connection treatments. Connection did not change the biomass of the plant communities competing with distal ramets of M. micrantha.
• Although clonal integration may promote the invasion of M. micrantha into plant communities, resource translocation to recipient ramets of M. micrantha will induce a cost to the donor ramets, even when resources are relatively abundant.

     

Heavy metals modify costs of reproduction and clonal growth in the stoloniferous herb Potentilla anserina

We examined costs of sexual reproduction and clonal propagation, and their consequences for resource allocation in the clonal stoloniferous herb, Potentilla anserina, a typical pioneer species in disturbed areas. We used heavy-metal treatment in soil to create unfavourable growing conditions, because costs of reproduction are more likely to be expressed when resources are limited. We also studied whether heavy metals affect the plasticity of clonal growth form that enables the plants to avoid poor growing conditions. Ramets collected from field were grown in a greenhouse under the heavy-metal treatment consisting of a control and two levels of heavy-metals added in soil. Clonal propagation was costly in terms of total biomass of flowering ramets. Also the costs of sexual reproduction were detected in flowering ramets. Contrary to our predictions, the costs of flower production were visible in the control but not in the heavy-metal contaminated plants. Only the flowering ramets were able to produce longer stolons under heavy-metal stress, but the stolon biomass was not affected by heavy metals. Results indicate that clonal propagation and sexual reproduction may be costly for P. anserina. However, the costs are modified by heavy-metal contamination.Co-ordinating editor: J. Tuomi     

Physiological Integration among Clonal Ramets during Invasion of Disturbance Patches in a New England Salt Marsh

Resource sharing between ramets growing across environmentalresource gradients may have important consequences for clonalplant populations and community dynamics. As the clonal saltmarsh grasses, Spartina patens and Distichlis spicata, vegetativelycolonize disturbance-generated bare patches, they span steepgradients in soil salinity and available sunlight. Examinationof water relations and carbon translocation in the field andgreenhouse revealed that connected ramets of these marsh grassesshare water and carbon in response to gradients in resourceavailability. Ramets colonizing disturbance patches rely uponphysiological integration with connected parent ramets to overcomewater stress associated with hypersaline patch environments.In addition, upon establishment inside a bare patch, daughterramets may translocate carbon back to shaded parent ramets inthe surrounding vegetation outside of patches. Physiological integration of ramets colonizing disturbance-generatedbare patches and parent ramets outside of patches may explainthe predominance of vegetative invasion over sexual recruitmentin marsh succession. Hypersaline soil conditions, which inhibitseedling recruitment into patches, have little effect on thesuccess of clonal colonizers that can import water from parentramets. This success appears to be due to the ability of clonalmarsh grasses to translocate water and carbon products betweenramets growing across opposing gradients in resource availability.Copyright1995, 1999 Academic Press Clonal integration, Distichlis spicata, halophytes, salt marsh ecology, secondary succession, Spartina patens     

An analysis of the costs and benefits of physiological integration between ramets in the clonal perennial herb Glechoma hederacea

Summary The costs and benefits, measured in terms of dry weight, of physiological integration between clonal ramets, were analysed in two experiments conducted on the clonal herb Glechoma hederacea. Firstly, integration between consecutively-produced ramets was examined in an experiment in which stolons grew from one set of growing conditions (either unshaded or shaded and either nutrient-rich or nutrient-poor) into conditions in which light or nutrient level was altered. Comparisons were made between the dry weight of the parts of the clones produced before and after growing conditions were changed, and the dry weights of the corresponding part of control clones subjected to constant growing conditions. In a second experiment, integration between two distinct parts of G. hederacea clones was investigated. In this experiment clones were grown from two connected parent ramets and the parts of the clone produced by each parent ramet were subjected independently to either nutrient-rich or nutrient-poor conditions. Ramets in resource-rich conditions provided considerable physiological support to those in resource-poor conditions. This was measured as a dry weight gain compared with the weight of the corresponding part of the control clones growing in resource-poor conditions. However, when stolons grew from resource-poor conditions into resource-rich conditions, there was no similar evidence of the resourcepoor ramtes receiving support from resource-rich ramets. Physiological integration did not result in dry weight gains when this would have necessitated basipetal translocation of resources.Because of the predominantly acropedal direction of movement of translocates in G. hederacea, the structure of the clone was important in determining the effectiveness of integration between ramets. Where physiological integration was effective, the cost to the supporting ramets in terms of dry weight was insignificant. Physiological integration allows clones to maintain a presence in less favourable sites with insignificant cost to ramets in favourable sites, thereby reducing the probability of invasion by other plants, and providing the potential for rapid clonal growth if conditions improve. Integrated support of ramets in unfavourable conditions also enables the clone to grow through unfavourable sites, thus increasing the probability of encountering more favourable conditions by wider foraging.     

Ecological benefits of integration of Calamagrostis epigejos ramets under field conditions

We established two independent experiments to estimate the ecological consequences of artificial severing on ramets of the competitively strong perennial grass Calamagrostis epigejos. We compared the responses of mature ramets of different size growing in different environments. Finally, we tested whether the response of young ramets to the severing depends on the density of surrounding vegetation.Severing decreased biomass and number of rhizomes of young ramets but did not affect their competitive tolerance. It decreased survival of mature ramets (probably due to traumata caused by cutting attached rhizomes) but did not influence total biomass of survived ramets. The response of total biomass of mature ramets to severing changed with size of the ramets. Further, biomass allocation to rhizomes changed differently after ramet severing in the two environments.The results suggest that field grown young ramets of Calamagrostis benefit from physiological integration. In contrast, mature ramets seem to be independent units according to the resource economy. Ecological benefits of integration depended on size of ramet clumps: ramets in clump had larger survival probability than control ramets. They also depended on environmental conditions: severing increased formation of new rhizomes at a sand dune subsrate, but it had a negative effect on plants in the forest experimental site. This intra-specific variation should be taken into account when trying to explain ecological patterns of integration benefits of clonal plants.     

Morphological responses to local light conditions in clonal herbs from contrasting habitats,and their modification due to physiological integration

Morphological responses to light and effects of physiological integration on local morphological responses are examined for Hydrocotyle vulgaris and Lamiastrum galeobdolon, stoloniferous herbs from open fenlands and forest understoreys, respectively. An assessment was made of whether these clonal herbs of similar morphology but from contrasting habitats show different foraging behaviour for light. In a garden experiment, the plants wer subjected to four levels of light availability, and to a split treatment in which the primary stolons grew along the border of patches of the two intermediate light levels. In this treatment the plant parts on opposite sides of the primary stolons were in contrasting light environments. Petiole extension was more responsive to light conditions in Hydrocotyle than in Lamiastrum, while the opposite was true for leaf area. Both species showed similar responses in stolon internode length and specific leaf area (SLA). Integration did not significantly modify local responses in stolon internode length in either species. Local responses in petiole length, leaf area and SLA of Hydrocotyle ramets were not significantly affected by physiological integration, except for the SLA of ramets in high light which was evened out by integration. In contrast, in Lamiastrum, local responses in petiole length, leaf area and SLA of many ramets in the shaded and/or light patch were significantly evened out by integration. As a result, interconnected ramets in patches of different light supply developed very different morphologies in Hydrocotyle, but not in Lamiastrum. The results indicate that the species differed in ramet morphological responses to light intensity as well as in effects of integration on local morphological responses, and suggest that species from different habitats show different foraging behaviour for light.     

Clonal Integration of Fragaria orientalis in Reciprocal and Coincident Patchiness Resources: Cost-Benefit Analysis

Clonal growth allows plants to spread horizontally and to experience different levels of resources. If ramets remain physiologically integrated, clonal plants can reciprocally translocate resources between ramets in heterogeneous environments. But little is known about the interaction between benefits of clonal integration and patterns of resource heterogeneity in different patches, i.e., coincident patchiness or reciprocal patchiness. We hypothesized that clonal integration will show different effects on ramets in different patches and more benefit to ramets under reciprocal patchiness than to those under coincident patchiness, as well as that the benefit from clonal integration is affected by the position of proximal and distal ramets under reciprocal or coincident patchiness. A pot experiment was conducted with clonal fragments consisting of two interconnected ramets (proximal and distal ramet) of Fragaria orientalis. In the experiment, proximal and distal ramets were grown in high or low availability of resources, i.e., light and water. Resource limitation was applied either simultaneously to both ramets of a clonal fragment (coincident resource limitation) or separately to different ramets of the same clonal fragment (reciprocal resource limitation). Half of the clonal fragments were connected while the other half were severed. From the experiment, clonal fragments growing under coincident resource limitation accumulated more biomass than those under reciprocal resource limitation. Based on a cost-benefit analysis, the support from proximal ramets to distal ramets was stronger than that from distal ramets to proximal ramets. Through division of labour, clonal fragments of F. orientalis benefited more in reciprocal patchiness than in coincident patchiness. While considering biomass accumulation and ramets production, coincident patchiness were more favourable to clonal plant F. orientalis.     

异质光环境下克隆整合对白夹竹光合氮分配格局的影响

采用盆栽试验,以单轴散生型竹类植物——白夹竹(Phyllostachys bissetii)克隆片段为对象,使近端分株处于自然光照环境,远端分株处于遮荫环境中,对根状茎作切断或不切断处理,研究克隆整合对远端分株和近端分株光合氮分配格局的影响。结果表明:(1)根状茎保持连接的远端分株较根状茎切断的远端分株具有更高的最大净光合速率、叶片氮含量、光合色素含量、叶片光合氮分配系数。(2)相对根状茎切断处理,根状茎保持连接的远端分株将更多的氮分配到光合系统的羧化系统、生物力能学组分,而分配至捕光系统组分的比例较小。(3)比较处于自然光照条件的近端分株,比叶重、叶片氮含量等并没有因根状茎切断与否表现出显著性差异,根状茎连接的近端分株部分指标甚至高于根状茎切断的近端分株。研究认为,克隆整合作用影响处于遮荫环境的白夹竹远端分株的光合氮分配格局,使得处于遮荫生境中的克隆分株依旧维持较高的光合能力,保证了处于逆境条件下克隆分株的生存与生长。     

Spatial division of labour of Schoenoplectus americanus

If connected ramets are growing in heterogeneous environments, Division of Labour (DoL) among ramets potentially will result in more efficient sharing of resources and an overall benefit to the plants. As a result of DoL, connected ramets growing in a heterogeneous environment might achieve more biomass than ramets growing in a homogeneous environment. DoL has been demonstrated to occur in a few clonal plant species, although most studies simply focussed on biomass allocation, not on actual resource capturing such as water and nutrient consumption. The model system for our study is one in which two connected ramet groups of Schoenoplectus americanus were placed into contrasting environments. In one treatment, the connected ramets grew in heterogeneous environments and in the other treatment, the connected ramets grew in the same (i.e. homogeneous) environment. We manipulated two variables (light and salinity) in the experiment. We hypothesized that ramets growing in a shaded and fresh water condition in a heterogeneous environment would use more water than ramets growing in a similar condition but in a homogeneous environment. We further hypothesized that ramets growing in a light and saline condition in a heterogeneous environment would assimilate less water than ramets growing in a similar condition but in a homogeneous environment. These hypotheses are based on the assumption that ramets in a heterogeneous environment would translocate water from ramets growing in a shaded and fresh water condition to ramets growing in a light and saline water condition. We also hypothesized that ramets growing in heterogeneous environments achieve larger biomass than ramets in homogeneous environments. Ramets grown in light and saline conditions in heterogeneous environments allocated more biomass to aboveground parts, had taller shoots, larger Specific Green (leaf) Area and consumed less water than ramets grown in similar conditions but in a homogeneous environment. Results confirm the hypothesis that connected ramets in heterogeneous environments are specialised to capture locally abundant resources and share these with connected ramets growing in other habitats. The result of DoL is that the entire connected ramet system benefits and achieves higher biomass.     

Effects of clonal integration on plant plasticity in Fragaria chiloensis

The ability of clonal plants to transport substances between ramets located in different microsites also allows them to modify the plastic responses of individual ramets to local environmental conditions. By equalising concentrations of substances between ramets, physiological integration might decrease responses to local conditions. However, integration has also been observed to increase plasticity and induce novel plastic responses in ramets. To ask how integration modifies plant plasticity in the clonal herb, Fragaria chiloensis, ramets were given either low light and high nitrogen or high light and low nitrogen, simulating a pattern of resource patchiness in their native habitat. Ramets in contrasting light/nitrogen treatments were either connected or single. Effects of light/nitrogen and connection were measured at three levels of morphological organisation, the organ, the ramet, and the clonal fragment. Connection between ramets reduced or had no effect on plastic responses in leaf size at the level of the plant organ. This suggested that integration dampened certain plastic responses. Connection induced a new plastic response at the level of the clonal fragment, an increase in allocation to vegetative reproduction in patches of low light and high nitrogen. It is concluded that clonal integration can have different effects on plant plasticity at different levels of plant organisation. It appears that, at least in this species, integration can increase plasticity at the level of the clonal fragment and concentrate vegetative reproduction in particular microsite types.     

Effects of salinity and clonal integration on growth and sexual reproduction of the invasive grass Spartina alterniflora

The purpose of this study was to explore clonal integration of Spartina alterniflora under gradually changing substrate salinity conditions. We hypothesized that there might be a trade-off between growth and sexual reproduction influenced by soil salinity and, that clonal integration would change this trade-off. The experiment consisted of three levels of substrate salinity (5‰, 20‰ and 35‰), two clonal integration treatments (rhizomes severed or not), and three growth stages of daughter ramets (21, 40 and 60 cm tall). Both growth and sexual reproduction of S. alterniflora greatly decreased with increasing salinity. Clonal integration enhanced the survival, growth and sexual reproduction of daughter ramets experiencing salt stress, especially for young ramets, whereas the performance of mother ramets was reduced by clonal integration. Therefore, clonal integration did not affect performance of the whole clones. Contrary to expectations, there was no evidence for a trade-off between growth and sexual reproduction associated with salinity. In addition, clonal integration did not change the effect of salinity on the growth and sexual reproduction of mother and daughter ramets nor of the whole clones.     

克隆整合提高淹水胁迫下狗牙根根部的活性氧清除能力

虽然国内外已开展大量关于克隆整合影响植物抗逆生理的研究,但迄今未见克隆整合是否会影响逆境下不同分株清除活性氧过程的报道。以河岸带适生克隆植物狗牙根(Cynodon dactylon)为例,研究克隆植物的抗氧化生理响应,检测了狗牙根在先端淹水/不淹水、先端与基端匍匐茎连接/切断两个因素的交互作用下的根部主要抗氧化酶:超氧化岐化酶(Superoxide dismutase, SOD)、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(Ascorbate peroxidase, APX)、过氧化氢酶(Catalase, CAT)的活力以及生物量的变化。结果显示,淹水环境中狗牙根先端的生物量和根部SOD酶活力在匍匐茎连接处理下显著高于切断处理组,同一处理的生物量以及根部APX、CAT酶活力总体上表现出不同程度的提高趋势;与受淹先端连接的基端分株根部抗氧化酶活力均低于切断处理组,且SOD和CAT受连接处理影响显著;淹水和切断处理显著降低先端分株的生物量,但对基端和克隆片段影响不明显。这表明淹水胁迫下克隆整合提高了其根部活性氧清除能力,显著改善了先端分株的表现。     

克隆植物沙拐枣的母株和分株对风蚀沙埋的生理生态响应

以中国荒漠区优良的防风固沙克隆灌木沙拐枣为对象,研究了长期风蚀、沙埋环境下沙拐枣母株和克隆分株的同化枝对环境异质性的响应。结果发现:(1)风蚀母株、风蚀分株的叶绿素含量、净光合速率、气孔导度、蒸腾速率、胞间CO2浓度和水分利用效率只有沙埋分株的一半左右,导致同化枝的长度、数量、簇数也仅是沙埋分株的一半,而且风蚀母株的果实宽和果实长也都最小,但浅沙埋有利于沙拐枣的生长和繁殖,表明严峻的风蚀对母株和分株的生长与繁殖都产生了胁迫,但浅沙埋有利于沙拐枣的生长和繁殖。(2)风蚀母株倒伏后同化枝的形态特征是基部优于中部优于顶部,表明严峻风蚀下母株的死亡是从顶部-中部-底部逐渐舍弃的过程。(3)母株的全部根系以及风蚀水平根全部裸露在外但依然能够存活,间接证明沙拐枣克隆整合的方向性——不仅可在分株间进行传递,分株-母株间也可进行传递,否则遭受严峻风蚀胁迫的母株和克隆分株会直接死亡。本研究结果为沙拐枣克隆生长对风沙环境的生态适应机制提供了基础,也是对植物克隆生态学在自然异质环境中研究缺乏的有效补充。     

Clonal integration facilitates spread of Paspalum paspaloides from terrestrial to cadmium‐contaminated aquatic habitats

• Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous environmental pollutant with high toxicity to plants, which has been detected in many wetlands. Clonal integration (resource translocation) between connected ramets of clonal plants can increase their tolerance to stress. We hypothesised that clonal integration facilitates spread of amphibious clonal plants from terrestrial to Cd‐contaminated aquatic habitats.
• The spread of an amphibious grass Paspalum paspaloides was simulated by growing basal older ramets in uncontaminated soil connected (allowing integration) or not connected (preventing integration) to apical younger ramets of the same fragments in Cd‐contaminated water.
• Cd contamination of apical ramets of P. paspaloides markedly decreased growth and photosynthetic capacity of the apical ramets without connection to the basal ramets, but did not decrease these properties with connection. Cd contamination did not affect growth of the basal ramets without connection to the apical ramets, but Cd contamination of 4 and 12 mg·l^?1 significantly increased growth with connection. Consequently, clonal integration increased growth of the apical ramets, basal ramets and whole clones when the apical ramets were grown in Cd‐contaminated water of 4 and 12 mg·l^?1. Cd was detected in the basal ramets with connection to the apical ramets, suggesting Cd could be translocated due to clonal integration. Clonal integration, most likely through translocation of photosynthates, can support P. paspaloides to spread from terrestrial to Cd‐contaminated aquatic habitats.
• Amphibious clonal plants with a high ability for clonal integration are particularly useful for re‐vegetation of degraded aquatic habitats caused by Cd contamination.