Production of male flowers does not decrease with plant size in insect‐pollinated Sagittaria trifolia,contrary to predictions of size‐dependent sex allocation

Abstract It has been proposed that relative allocation to female function increases with plant size in animal‐pollinated species. Previous investigations in several monoecious Sagittaria species seem to run contrary to the prediction of size‐dependent sex allocation (SDS), throwing doubt on the generalization of SDS. Plant size, phenotypic gender, and flower production were measured in experimental populations of an aquatic, insect‐pollinated herb Sagittaria trifolia (Alismataceae) under highly different densities. The comparison of ramets produced clonally can reduce confounding effects from genetic and environmental factors. In the high‐density population, 48% of ramets were male without female flowers, but in the low‐density population all ramets were monoecious. We observed allometric growth in reproductive allocation with ramet size, as evident in biomass of reproductive structures and number of flowers. However, within both populations female and male flower production were isometric with ramet size, in contrast to an allometric growth in femaleness as predicted by SDS. Phenotypic gender was not related to ramet size in either population. The results indicated that large plants may increase both female and male function even in animal‐pollinated plants, pointing towards further studies to test the hypothesis of size‐dependent sex allocation using different allocation currencies.     

慈姑(Sagittaria sagittifolia L.)对环境镉胁迫因子的应答

主要研究了水环境中Cd²⁺污染对慈姑(Sagittaria sagittifolia L.)根的毒害影响。结果表明:在Cd²⁺胁迫下,慈姑根出现不同程度的褐变、发黑,生长受到限制;叶和根尖细胞超微结构受损,叶绿体膨大、类囊体排列紊乱、线粒体嵴减少、空泡化、染色质凝集等;根尖细胞在扫描电镜下呈细胞壁增厚、细胞形状扭曲和排列不规则现象。能谱分析结果表明随外界Cd²⁺浓度增大,单个慈姑根尖中的Cd²⁺含量升高,其他营养元素的吸收受到不同程度的影响。Cd²⁺对慈姑的毒害有明显的剂量效应和时间效应。     

慈菇下胚轴毛的形态发育研究

慈菇种子萌发前,下胚轴基部的表皮细胞分化成生毛细胞。当下胚轴穿出种皮约1—2毫米时,生毛细胞的外壁向外突出,形成下胚轴毛。开始时,其顶端膨大,呈分泌毛状,后呈根毛状。下胚轴毛的主要功能是起固着作用。下胚轴毛发育后期,在其保留细胞核的膨大的基部和突起的毛状体之间形成一细胞壁,此时毛状体便开始萎缩脱落。下胚轴毛的基部重新形成完整的表皮细胞。     

Vegetation, substrate and hydrology in floating marshes in the Mississippi river delta plain wetlands, USA

In the 1940s extensive floating marshes (locally called flotant) were reported and mapped in coastal wetlands of the Mississippi River Delta Plain. These floating marshes included large areas of Panicum hemitomon-dominated freshwater marshes, and Spartina patens/Scirpus olneyi brackish marshes. Today these marshes appear to be quite different in extent and type. We describe five floating habitats and one non-floating, quaking habitat based on differences in buoyancy dynamics (timing and degree of floating), substrate characteristics, and dominant vegetation. All floating marshes have low bulk density, organic substrates. Nearly all are fresh marshes. Panicum hemitomon floating marshes presently occur within the general regions that were reported in the 1940's by O'Neil, but are reduced in extent. Some of the former Panicum hemitomon marshes have been replaced by seasonally or variably floating marshes dominated, or co-dominated by Sagittaria lancifolia or Eleocharis baldwinii.     

Effect of oil on recruitment from the seed bank of two tidal freshwater wetlands

The effect of oil spills on the recruitment of freshwater tidal wetland species was determined using soil seed bank samples collected in early March from two New Jersey Delaware River marshes. Samples were exposed to simulated tidal cycles 0 (2 days), 2 and 4 wk after soil was collected; 0 wk samples were treated before germination began. Oil treatment significantly reduced survival to I May (end of study) of Acnida cannabina and Bidens laevis, the dominant species, as well as number of species per sample and height of B. laevis. Total perennial seedlings, present in low numbers, also showed significant reduction with treatment. However, during the course of the study, Peltandra virginica recruitment and survival were not reduced by oil treatment and recruitment of Sagittaria latifolia appeared enhanced. There was no consistent pattern regarding which treatment time produced the greatest effect. Interactions (site, treatment, time) were generally not significant. Because these tidal freshwater wetlands and seed banks are dominated by annuals, reduction in seedling numbers and growth could substantially alter vegetation patterns. Timing of oil spills would be important, but impact would depend on species composition of the seed bank and colonizing vegetation, dispersal of seeds into the site, and germination requirements.     

中国慈姑属系统发育的研究

本文研究了中国慈姑属植物间的系统发育关系。选取了12个与该属系统发育有较重要关系的特征,将8个已知分类群与外类群刺果泽泻属进行了比较。应用数量分支分析的Farris-Wagner方法,建立了中国慈姑属系统发育分支图。讨论了各分类群间的系统发育关系、该属起源和数量分支分析方法等问题。     

Karyology of some Brazilian species of Alismataceae

The family Alismataceae ( sensu Cronquist) comprises 11 genera and 75 species of aquatic and semiaquatic herbs. In Brazil, only the two most speciose genera, Echinodorus Rich. ex Engelm. and Sagittaria L., are present. The chromosome number 2 n  = 22 is common to all species. We present karyotypes for eight species, together with their asymmetry index (TF%) and total chromatin length (TCL). All karyotypes have high karyotypic asymmetry and TCL, due to their large and mostly acrocentric chromosomes. The chromosomal evolution of the Alismatidae group is discussed.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 143 , 159−164.     

施肥水平对巨桉幼树叶片气体交换日变化的影响

以巨桉幼树为对象,研究了不同施肥水平(每株施用含N、P₂O₅和K₂O各15%的复合肥0、90、180和270 g)下巨桉叶片的气孔导度(G_s)、胞间CO₂浓度(C_i)、净光合速率(P_n)、蒸腾速率(T_r)、水分利用效率(WUE)和叶面饱和水汽压亏缺(V_pdl)日变化,及其叶绿素含量变化,探讨巨桉光合特性与施肥和环境因素之间的关系.结果表明:各处理巨桉叶片P_n的日变化呈“单峰”形曲线,峰值出现在14:00,未出现光合“午休”现象;G_s、T_r和V_pdl的日变化与P_n相同,而C_i的最低值出现在14:00;WUE的日变化呈“双峰”形曲线,峰值分别出现在10:00和14:00.与对照处理相比,施肥处理叶片G_s、P_n、T_r、WUE及叶绿素a、叶绿素b和总叶绿素含量平均值分别增加4.6%～15.9%、7.8%～21.8%、4.8%～11.6%、3.2%～8.8%、15.5%～62.0%、14.5%～44.5%和15.3%～57.1%,且随施肥量的增加而增加;而叶片C_i和V_pdl平均值分别降低1.7%～4.6%和6.4%～15.2%,且随施肥量的增加而降低.气温、相对湿度(RH)和光合有效辐射(PAR)与G_s、P_n和T_r,G_s与P_n和Tr均显著相关.施肥可以促进巨桉生长、提高水分利用效率和增加生物固碳能力;气温、RH、PAR和G_s是影响巨桉光合作用和蒸腾作用日变化的主要因素.     

Sex Expression and the Evolutionary Advantages of Male Flowers in an Andromonoecious Species, Sagittaria guyanensis subsp. lappula (Alismataceae)

Sex expression in Sagittaria guyanensis H.B.K. subsp. lappula (D. Don) Bojin is typically andromonoecious while the other species in the same genus are basically monoecious. The evolutionary advantages of male flowers and hermaphrodite flowers in S. guyanensis subsp. lappula were assessed by measuring sex allocation and pollen movements in two wild populations of the species. Two cultivated populations served as controls. The percentage of male flowers was very low in the two wild populations in Dongxiang, Jiangxi Province and Wuyishan, Fujian Province, viz., 2.48% and 0.96% respectively. In the two cultivated populations, male flower percentage significantly increased when the soil was of higher nutrient content. This indicates that the allocation to male versus female reproduction might change in response to environmental factors. Pollen production per male flower was 4.1 times higher than that of a hermaphrodite flower. The floral shape and size of male and hermaphrodite flowers were similar. No difference was observed between these dimorphological flowers in pollen germination rate in vitro and in the speed of pollen tube growth in vivo. Anthesis was only 4-5 h. Male flowers usually opened 0.5 h earlier than hermaphrodite flowers. An unexpected finding was that no pollen from the male flowers was found on the stigmas of the hermaphrodite flowers, in spite of the occasional visits by insects to both types of flowers in both wild and control populations. A consistent pattern of fruit development was found to exist in open pollinated flowers as well as in flowers that had been bagged. The sex ratios did not have significant influence on fruit set. Approximately 25% of the pistils in a gynoecium failed to develop into fruits because no pollen was deposited on them, indicating that the fruit set of this andromonoecious plant is mainly affected by pollen limitation rather than resource limitation. Reproduction in S. guyanensis subsp. lappula in the habitats was dependent on self-pollination in hermaphrodite flowers. The male flowers in this species might be a potential source of additional pollination and may facilitate cross-pollination. The fact that the flowers of monoecious species in Sagittaria pollinated by a wide diversity of insect visitors may contribute enormously to the diversification of sex expression in this genus.     

Shade treatment affects structure and recovery of invasive C4 African grass Echinochloa pyramidalis

Echinochloa pyramidalis (Lam.) Hitchc. & Chase is an African grass with C4 photosynthesis, high biomass production, and high vegetative propagation that is tolerant to grazing and able to grow in flooded and dry conditions. Thus, it is highly invasive in tropical freshwater marshes where it is intentionally planted by ranchers to increase cattle production. This invasion is reducing plant biodiversity by increasing the invader''s aerial coverage, changing wetland hydrology and causing soil physicochemical changes such as vertical accretion. Reducing the dominance of this species and increasing the density of native wetland species is a difficult, expensive, and time-consuming process. We applied a series of disturbance treatments aimed at eliminating E. pyramidalis and recovering the native vegetation of a partially invaded freshwater marsh. Treatments included physical (cutting, soil disking, transplanting individuals of the key native species Sagittaria lancifolia subsp. media (Micheli) Bogin, and/or reducing light with shade mesh) and/or chemical (spraying Round-Up™ herbicide) disturbances. At the end of the experiment, four of the five treatments used were effective in increasing the cover and biomass of native species and reducing that of E. pyramidalis. The combination of these treatments should be used to generate a proposal for the restoration of tropical wetlands invaded by non-native grasses. A promising treatment is using soil disked to soften the soil and destroy belowground structures such as roots and rhizomes. This treatment would be more promising if combined with the use of shade cloth. If it is desirable not to impact the soil or if there is not enough budget to make an effort to include active restoration disking soil, the use of shade cloth will suffice, although the recovery of native vegetation will be slower.