Effects of Sexual Reproduction on Growth and Vegetative Propagation in the Perennial Geophyte Arum italicum (Araceae)

Abstract: The influences of sexual reproduction on growth and vegetative propagation were analysed in three populations of the geophyte Arum italicum Miller (Araceae). In an observational study using multiple regression, a negative influence of repro duction on tuber mass was detected for two populations. In an experimental study, "control" and "inflorescence removal" treatments were imposed on plants from one of the popula tions. Tuber growth was significantly lower in "control" plants than in "removal" plants, indicating the existence of a somatic cost of reproduction. The somatic cost of reproduction was de creased by an increasing degree of temporal coincidence be tween leaves and reproductive structures on the l)laflt. Neither the observational nor the experimental studies showed any neg ative effect of sexual reproduction on vegetative propagation.     

Effects of age and ontogeny on photosynthetic responses of a determinate annual plant to elevated CO2 concentrations

Plant responses to elevated CO₂ concentrations ([CO₂]) may be regulated by both accelerated ontogeny and allocational changes as plants grow. However, isolating ontogeny‐related effects from age‐related effects are difficult because these factors are often confounded. In this study, the roles of age and ontogeny in photosynthetic responses to elevated [CO₂] were examined on Xanthium strumarium L. grown at ambient (365 µmol mol^?1) and elevated (730 µmol mol^?1) [CO₂]. To examine age‐related effects, six cohorts were planted at 5‐day intervals. To examine ontogeny‐related effects, all plants were induced to flower at the same time; ontogeny in Xanthium is relatively unaffected by growth in elevated [CO₂]. Growth in elevated [CO₂] increased net photosynthetic rates by approximately 30% throughout vegetative growth (i.e. active carbohydrate sinks), approximately 10% during flowering (i.e. minimal sink activity), and approximately 20% during fruit production (i.e. active sinks). At the harvest, the ratio of source to sink tissue significantly decreased with increasing plant age and was correlated with leaf soluble sugar concentration. Leaf soluble sugar concentration was negatively correlated with the relative photosynthetic response to elevated [CO₂]. These results suggest that age and ontogeny independently affect photosynthetic responses to elevated [CO₂] and the effects are mediated by reversible changes in source : sink balance.     

Mechanism of parasitism by Cuscuta reflexa: Distribution of cytokinins in different regions of the parasite vine

Cytokinins in the different regions of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. vine have been extracted and assayed using the Xanthium cotyledon bioassay with N⁶-benzylaminopurine as the reference cytokinin. Maximum cytokinin level was found in the haustoria-bearing region with the gradient decreasing towards the apex. The cytokinin content of the apex was less than 1% of that in the whole haustorial region. Interestingly, the concave half of the vine contained about forty times more cytokinin in the haustorial region than the corresponding convex half. The high concentration of cytokinin or cytokinin-like substances in the haustoria-bearing site in Cuscuta might be due either to a high RNase activity in the region or translocation from the host to parasite or both.     

Essential‐Oil Composition of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G.Don ssp. italicum from Elba Island (Tuscany,Italy)

The composition of 21 essential‐oil samples isolated from Helichrysum italicum collected in seven locations of Elba Island (Tuscany, Italy), characterized by different soil types, during three different periods (January, May, and October 2010) was determined by GC‐FID and GC/EI‐MS analyses. In total, 115 components were identified, representing 96.8–99.8% of the oil composition. The oils were characterized by a high content of oxygenated monoterpenes (38.6–62.7%), while monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons accounted for 2.3–41.9 and 5.1–20.1% of the identified constituents, respectively. The main oxygenated derivatives were nerol (2.8–12.8%) and its ester derivative neryl acetate (5.6–45.9%). To compare the chemical variability of the species within Elba Island and between the island and other localities within the Mediterranean area, studied previously, multivariate statistical analysis was performed. The results obtained showed a difference in the composition of the essential oils of H. italicum from Elba Island, mainly due to the environment where the plant grows, and, in particular, to the soil type. These hypotheses were further confirmed by the comparison of these oils with essential oils obtained from H. italicum collected on other islands of the Tuscan archipelago.     

苍耳形态解剖学研究

现蕾期苍耳茎的解剖结构以初生结构为主。维管形成层已经形成,但次生结构尚不发达。茎表皮由普通表皮区和色斑区组成。叶的主脉维管组织与茎中维管组织排列方式类似,而不同于大多数双子叶植物。     

Assessing the contributions of multiple interacting traits to plant reproductive success: environmental dependence

The reproductive success of sibling cocklebur plants (Compositae: Xanthium strumarium) was monitored after growth at different levels of availability of water and nutrient resources. Variation in reproductive success among individual plants was related to physiological, structural, and phenological characteristics. Reproductive success increased with increased availability of resources, but the relative contribution of particular traits to reproductive success varied with resource availability. Allocation of biomass to different vegetative tissues, time to seedling emergence, degree of branching, transpiration rates, water use efficiency, the rate of decline in height growth after seedling emergence and final plant size all varied significantly with resource availability. However, the changes in each of these phenotypic traits across three garden environments did not always correlate with reproductive success. The shifts across environments in the apparent importance of somatic traits for reproductive success were attributed to plastic changes in the traits but also to changes in the phenotypic correlations of the traits with reproductive success.     

苍耳的一个新异名

将一室苍耳Xanthium sibiricum var. jingyuanense处理为苍耳Xanthium sibiricum的一个异名。     

三峡水库消落区4种一年生植物种子的水淹耐受性及水淹对其种子萌发的影响

稗(Echinochloa crusgalli)、苍耳(Xanthium sibiricum)、合萌(Aeschynomene indica)和水蓼(Polygonum hydropiper)是三峡水库消落区常见的4种一年生植物。该研究旨在验证这4种植物的种子能否耐受三峡水库消落区的水淹环境及种子在消落区变化的环境中能否成功地萌发。将消落区按照吴淞高程标准划分为9个高程梯度(145-150 m、150-155 m、155-160 m、160-163 m、163-166 m、166-169 m、169-172 m、172-175 m和>175 m), 实地播种这4种植物的种子(或果实), 并将种子萌发划分为“有泥沙淤积于种子表面”和“无泥沙淤积于种子表面” 2组。观察在消落区水位变化(蓄水到退水)一个周期内种子能否耐受水淹及水淹对不同高程种子萌发的影响。结果发现: (1)稗、苍耳、合萌和水蓼的成熟种子(或果实)能够耐受三峡水库消落区的水淹环境并保持活力。(2)这4种一年生植物种子的萌发起始时间和萌发持续时间都随着高程的降低而逐渐缩短(p < 0.01); 高程169 m以下, 种子萌发的起始时间显著缩短(p < 0.01)。总体来看, 在同一高程区域内, 合萌种子的萌发起始时间略长一些, 苍耳次之, 水蓼最短。(3)对稗、苍耳和水蓼的种子而言, 萌发率随高程的降低总体上呈现先上升后下降的趋势。合萌的种子萌发率随高程的降低总体呈下降的趋势。(4)水淹过程中产生的泥沙淤积对种子萌发影响较小, 但是在一定程度上可以促进苍耳的种子萌发而抑制合萌的种子萌发。以上试验结果表明: 这4种一年生植物的种子(或果实)在三峡水库消落区变化环境中能够耐受水淹并成功地萌发, 可应用于三峡水库消落区的植被恢复和生态重建中。     

外来入侵植物意大利苍耳的传粉生态学特性

从开花物候、花粉活力、柱头可受性、传粉媒介、花粉散布距离、雄性、雌性功能以及繁育系统等方面系统地研究了意大利苍耳的传粉生态学特性,旨在为揭示该物种成功入侵的机理提供科学依据。研究结果显示:意大利苍耳种群的花期较长,雌花花期可达40d,雄花花期可达30d。其雄性和雌性功能都很强,意大利苍耳单株雄花序和花粉量分别高达3847个/株和37903037粒/株,单株雌花序和单株胚珠数高达3847个/株和7694枚/株,种群平均结实率高达80.59%,即平均每株个体能形成6200枚成熟的果实。花粉活力的日变化呈单峰型曲线,早晨和傍晚的花粉活力最低,14:00时的活力高达99%。雌蕊柱头一经伸出总苞即具有可受性,可受期长达7d,开花后的3—4d柱头的可受性最强。意大利苍耳为风媒传粉植物,在4.5km/h的微风条件下,其花粉的散布距离可达45m,大量的花粉集中分布在距花粉源0—20m的范围内,这对于往往高密度连片分布的意大利苍耳种群来说无疑是一种高效的传粉策略。意大利苍耳的交配系统灵活多样,盛花期自然结实率达到100%,套袋试验结果表明该植物自交亲和,自株自然授粉的结实率高达93%。表明较长的花期、大量的雌雄花序及花粉数量、较高的花粉活力、较长的柱头可授期、较远的花粉风媒散布距离、混合交配系统、以及较高的结实率是意大利苍耳繁殖成功的重要保障,也是其成功入侵的重要原因。