Production dependence of vegetative propagation inDisporum smilacinum A. Gray

The dependence of vegetative propagation on the production of individual plants was examined inDisporum smilacinum A. Gray on the basis of shading experiments and field surveys. This species typically showed four types of reproductive behavior: sterile plants producing one plantlet (no propagation), sterile plants producing more than two plantlets (vegetative propagation), fertile plants producing one plantlet (sexual reproduction) and fertile plants producing more than two plantlets (both sexual reproduction and vegetative propagation). The propagation ofD. smilacinum was clearly related to the annual net production of each individual plant. The probability of a mother plant producing more than two vegetative propagules (plantlets) increased with net production of the plant in the current year. The number of propagules per plant and runner length increased with net production. It was possible to explain the types of reproductive behavior of this species on the basis of both the initial plant size before sprouting and its net production during the growing season. There was a critical initial plant size for sexual reproduction and a critical level of production for vegetative propagation.     

Crop Size and Fruit Neighborhood Effects on Bird Visitation to Fruiting Schefflera morototoni Trees in Puerto Rico1

Studies of zoochorous seed dispersal systems often consider crop size, yet seldom consider the kinds and amounts of fruits surrounding parent plants (the fruit neighborhood) when attempting to explain among‐plant variation in fruit removal. We studied avian frugivory at 24 Schefflera morototoni trees from February to May 1998 in central Puerto Rico. The number of fruits removed by avian seed dispersers per visit was similar among focal trees (typically 2–4). In contrast, visitation rate was highly variable (range: 0–71 visits per 4 h). We used multiple regression analyses to evaluate the relative roles of crop size (focal tree ripe fruit abundance) and fruit neighborhood variables (measured within 30 m of focal trees) in affecting visitation to focal trees by avian frugivores. Visitation rate was positively related to crop size (although this variable was only significant in one of four regression models considered) and negatively related to the presence or abundance of conspecific fruits, suggesting that trees competed intraspecifically for dispersers. Relationships between visitation and heterospecific fruits were mixed—some kinds of fruits appeared to enhance visitation to focal trees, while others seemed to reduce visitation. In most regression models, neighborhood variables had larger effects on visitation than focal tree fruit crop size. Our results highlight the important effects of local fruiting environments on the ability of individual plants to attract seed dispersers.     

Neighborhood predictors of plant performance

Summary We developed models of inter-individual interference to predict the fecundity of individuals in populations of the annual plant species, Arabidopsis thaliana. An individual plant is modeled as having a neighborhood which is a circular area of fixed radius with the plant at its center. Other plants which share the circle with the focal plant are termed neighbors of the focal plant. We developed an index of neighborhood interference which is the independent variable in a non-linear regression model that predicts individual plant fecundity. We present methods of exploratory data analysis that are useful in determining a best neighborhood radius, defined as that radius which minimizes residual sum of squares, and in deciding on the functional form of the interference index. In developing the interference index for Arabidopsis, we focus on aspects of the spatial distribution of neighbors: their number, distance and angular dispersion.We found that a best (or optimal) neighborhood radius can be resolved, which provides the best predictor of plant performance. Fecundity predictors based on adult neighbors were noticeably better than those based on neighbors at the seedling stage. Rosettes of Arabidopsis may change location during development (they fall over) and the new fallen positions do provide some improvement in the predictor. Taking into account distance to neighbors within the neighborhood provided only negligible improvement in the model. Finally, the incorporation of angular dispersion in the crowding index produced a considerably better fit. The fecundity predictor that included number of neighbors and angular dispersion in the crowding index explained about 70% of the variation in individual seed set.     

Seasonal pollen flow and progeny diversity in Amianthium muscaetoxicum: ecological potential for multiple mating in a self-incompatible,hermaphroditic perennial

Summary The ecological potential for multiple mating is high in Amianthium muscaetoxicum. The percentage of long-distance pollinations (20–100 m) is greater than reported for most insect-pollinated systems. Estimations of neighborhood area are at least an order of magnitude larger than any previously reported for plant species. Seasonal effects on fluorescent dust dispersal indicate that neighborhood areas change during the flowering season. The number of flowers marked with fluorescent dust on an inflorescence increases with increasing inflorescence size, and the proportions of available inflorescences that are marked decrease with distance from the source. Allozyme analysis indicates that heterozygosity levels are typical of outcrossing plants. The diversity of seed genotypes is increased by increasing the size of the floral display. The present investigation is the first to consider the effects of floral display on seed diversity and adds to existing data indicating that inflorescence size is important to fecundity and/or pollen donation in some systems.     

Influence of background on host-plant selection and subsequent oviposition by the cabbage root fly (Delia radicum)

The behaviour of female cabbage root flies during host plant selection was studied in the laboratory using brassica plants growing in backgrounds of bare soil, clover, grass, peas and four non-living materials. Gravid females landed about twice as often on brassica plants growing in bare soil than on comparable plants growing amongst non-host plants. Once a receptive female landed on a brassica plant, the female made, on average, four ‘spiral flights’ and two jumps on and off the plant before laying alongside the plant. Surrounding a brassica plant with a diverse background altered the behaviour of the flies, so that the spiral flights around the host plant were replaced by short hops between nearby vertical objects. The loss of contact and recontact with the host plant then prevented the females from accumulating sufficient contacts with the host plant to be stimulated to lay. Spiral flights around host plants appear to determine whether or not flies will lay alongside host plants. Flies in mixed plantings have a reduced rate of settling on the host plant, and a higher rate of locomotion, because they land frequently on non-host plants. Hence, visual stimuli appeared to have greater effects than, chemical or mechanical barriers in deterring flies from laying alongside brassica plants in diverse backgrounds. In ‘choice’ situations, backgrounds of real plants reduced oviposition alongside brassica plants by at least 50%. In ‘no-choice’ situations, flies laid similar numbers of eggs alongside all brassica plants irrespective of plant background or plant size. If numbers of fly eggs are to be reduced on commercial brassica crops by undersowing the crops with clover, plants growing in bare soil may also have to be included to provide the flies with sites preferred for oviposition.     

<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">P</Emphasis>lastic responses to temporal variation in moisture availability: consequences for water use efficiency and plant performance

The ability to appropriately modify physiological and morphological traits in response to temporal variation should increase fitness. We used recombinant hybrid plants generated by crossing taxa in the Piriqueta caroliniana complex to assess the effects of individual leaf traits and trait plasticities on growth in a temporally variable environment. Recombinant hybrids were used to provide a wide range of trait expression and to allow an assessment of the independent effects of individual traits across a range of genetic backgrounds. Hybrid genotypes were replicated through vegetative propagation and planted in common gardens at Archbold Biological Station in Venus, Florida, where they were monitored for growth, leaf morphological characters, and integrated water use efficiency (WUE) (C isotope ratio; δ¹³C) for two successive seasons. Under wet conditions only leaf area had significant effects on plant growth, but as conditions became drier, growth rates were greatest in plants with narrow leaves and higher trichome densities. Plants with higher WUE exhibited increased growth during the dry season but not during the wet season. WUE during the dry season was increased for plants with smaller, narrower leaves that had higher trichome densities and increased reflectance. Examination of alternative path models revealed that during the dry season leaf traits had significant effects on plant growth only through their direct effects on WUE, as estimated from δ¹³C. Over the entire growing season, plants with a greater ability to produce smaller and narrower leaves with higher trichome densities in response to reduced water availability had the greatest growth rate. These findings suggest that plants making appropriate changes to leaf morphology as conditions became dry had increased WUE, and that the ability to adjust leaf phenotypes in response to environmental variation is a mechanism by which plants increase fitness.     

Seasonal Pattern of Reproduction Of Hizikia Fusiformis (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyta) from Nanao Island, Shantou, China

The maturation pattern of sexual reproduction in Hizikia fusiformis (Harvey) Okamura (Sargassaceae, Phaeaophyta) was examined in 2003 at Yunao Bay, Nanao Island, Shantou, China. Maturation began in mid-April (seawater temperature 19–21 ^∘C), reached the peak in mid-May (maturation rate ca. 70%, and seawater temperature 23.5–25 ^∘C) and finished in late-June (seawater temperature 27.5–30 ^∘C). The Hizikia plants continued to gain the length from the beginning of maturation season to reach a maximum mean length of 34.8 cm in mid-May, after which the mean length was reduced drastically due to the senescence and rupture of the larger plants in size. The major portion of the mature plants belonged to the larger plants between April and May, but to the smaller ones in June. It is suggested that the plant must achieve a critical size before reproductive maturation occurred. There was a positive relationship between the number of receptacles (NR), as well as the reproductive allocation (RA), and the plant size of Hizikia population, with the recorded maximum values of NR and RA being 1220 and 64.3% respectively, for a single plant.     

Seasonal trends in intestinal nematode infection and medicinal plant use among chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains, Tanzania

A longitudinal study of nematode infection in chimpanzees was conducted between 1989 and 1994 on the M group chimpanzees of the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania during two annual dry and rainy season periods and a third rainy season. Chemical and physical antiparasite properties of medicinal plant use against the strongyle nematodeOesophagostomum stephanostomum have recently been reported at Mahale. Here, the incidence of nematode infections were analyzed for seasonal trends to elucidate the possible influence of parasite infection on previously reported seasonality of medicinal plant use and to test the hypothesis that the use of these plants is stimulated byO. stephanostomum. The number of chimpanzees infected byO. stephanostomum was significantly higher in the rainy season than in the dry season of both 1989–1990 and 1991–1992. However, the incidence ofTrichuris trichura andStrongyloides fuelleborni showed no seasonality. Reinfection of individuals byO. stephanostomum occurred in synchrony with annual variation in rainfall: there was a sharp rise in the occurrence of new infections per individual within one to two months after the beginning of the first heavy rains of the season. This pattern coincides with the reproductive cycle of this nematode species.O. stephanostomum (95%) infections were associated significantly more frequently with medicinal plant use than eitherT. trichiura (50%) orS. fuelleborni (40%) infections. These observations are consistent with previous reports for the increased use of these plants during the rainy season and are consistent the hypothesis that medicinal plant use is stimulated byO. stephanostomum infection.     

Crop size,plant aggregation,and microhabitat type affect fruit removal by birds from individual melastome plants in the Upper Amazon

We studied the efficiency (proportion of the crop removed) and quantitative effectiveness (number of fruits removed) of dispersal of Miconia fosteri and M. serrulata (Melastomataceae) seeds by birds in lowland tropical wet forest of Ecuador. Specifically, we examined variation in fruit removal in order to reveal the spatial scale at which crop size influences seed dispersal outcome of individual plants, and to evaluate how the effect of crop size on plant dispersal success may be affected by conspecific fruit abundance and by the spatial distribution of frugivore abundance. We established two 9-ha plots in undisturbed terra-firme understory, where six manakin species (Pipridae) disperse most seeds of these two plant species. Mean levels of fruit removal were low for both species, with high variability among plants. In general, plants with larger crop sizes experienced greater efficiency and effectiveness of fruit removal than plants with smaller crops. Fruit removal, however, was also influenced by microhabitat, such as local topography and local neighborhood. Fruit-rich and disperser-rich patches overlapped spatially for M. fosteri but not M. serrulata, nonetheless fruit removal of M. serrulata was still much greater in fruit-rich patches. Fruit removal from individual plants did not decrease in patches with many fruiting conspecifics and, in fact, removal effectiveness was enhanced for M. fosteri with small crop sizes when such plants were in patches with more conspecifics. These results suggest that benefits of attracting dispersers to a patch balanced or outweighed the costs of competition for dispersers. Spatial pattern of fruit removal, a measure of plant fitness, depended on a complex interaction among plant traits, spatial patterns of plant distribution, and disperser behavior.     

The western jewel butterfly (Hypochrysops halyaetus: Lycaenidae) II: factors affecting oviposition within native Banksia bushland in an urban setting

Oviposition by western jewel butterflies (Hypochrysops halyaetus Hewitson) was studied in the urban Koondoola regional bushland reserve, Western Australia in 1999. Observations were made in a small (70 × 120 m) localised breeding area the ‘microdistribution study area’, and in 14 paired 20 × 20 m quadrats randomly placed along established tracks in the interior of the northern half of the reserve. The principal host plant was Jacksonia sternbergiana with the secondary host being Daviesia divaricata. More Jacksonia were used for oviposition and attended by ants (40 and 71%, respectively) in the microdistribution study than plants in the ‘quadrat’ study (8 and 25%, respectively). Jacksonia stems with basal diameters below 5 mm were less likely to have eggs. PCA showed Jacksonia to be associated with disturbed conditions with a high proportion of bare ground whereas Daviesia was associated with more mature vegetation. Jacksonia density was principally correlated with the proportion of bare ground and time since the last fire. Host ant (Crematogaster perthensis) presence and proportion of bare ground were the most important factors influencing oviposition. The presence of ants was closely associated with bare ground conditions and the presence of coccids. Conservation management for floristic diversity and maturity of vegetation in reserves is likely to be a widespread phenomenon, and may negatively affect the persistence of species requiring ephemeral patches of early successional vegetation. For H. halyaetus, a species dependent on disturbed/ephemeral habitat conditions, this conflict may threaten its survival, especially in small reserves, and as a result its conservation status may be underestimated. Management options are discussed.     

Alteration of selection regime resulting from harvest of American ginseng, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Panax quinquefolius</Emphasis>

Replicate harvest simulations were conducted in a large natural population of Panax quinquefolius L.␣(Araliaceae) to determine the selective effects of harvest. We investigated how minimum size requirements and the influence of size on apparency to human harvesters could result in preferential removal of large plants. To determine which plants were encountered in the large population, harvesters were tracked using GPS as they searched for every legally harvestable, adult plant they could find. Plants were assigned stage-specific fitness measures based on their contributions to population growth rate (λ) under three demographically based harvest regimes: no harvest, harvest and harvest removing seeds. Plant size was codified into a size-index equal to the product of total leaf area and stem height. Heterogeneity of slopes was tested to determine if the selection gradients (β) describing the relationship between fitness and size varied among the three harvest regimes. Harvest differentially reduced the fitness of larger plants in one of four individual harvest simulations. The combined harvest simulation significantly altered the selection regime for size in the population of juvenile and adult (harvestable) plants. Seed removal by harvesters intensified fitness declines for larger plants. Because larger plants contribute most to population growth, the selective effects of harvest could result in a shift in the evolutionary dynamics of this species with significant conservation implications.     

Population distributions of plant size and light environment of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) at three densities

Summary Plots in a naturally occurring population of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) near Ames, Iowa, USA were left unthinned (high density,=693 plants/m²) or were thinned in early June 1989 to create low and medium densities of 10 and 50 plants/m². Size and light environment of individual plants were measured at monthly intervals from June to September. By September, low density plants had 15 times greater biomass/plant and 30 times greater leaf area/plant than high density plants, although biomass and leaf area per unit land area decreased with decreasing density. Plants at high density allocated more biomass to stem growth, but plants at medium and low density had successively higher leaf area ratios, higher potential photosynthetic rates, higher allocation to leaves, and higher growth rates. Average light on leaves decreased with increasing density and also decreased over the growing season in the low and medium densities. The distribution of light environments of individual plants was non-normal and skewed to the left in most months, in contrast to the rightwards skew of distributions of plant size parameters. Inequality in the distributions, as measured by coefficient of variation and Gini coefficients, increased over most of the growing season. There was little effect of density on inequality of stem diameter, height, or estimated dry weight, but inequality in reproductive output greatly increased with density. There was greater inequality in number of staminate flowers produced than in number of pistillate flowers and seeds produced. Path analysis indicated that early plant size was the most important predictor of final plant size and reproductive output; photosynthesis, conductance, and light environment were also significantly correlated with size and reproduction but usually were of minor importance. Variation in growth rate apparently increased inequality in plant size at low density, whereas belowground competition and death of smaller plants may have limited increases in inequality at high density.     

Genetic variation, genetic structure and effective population size in the tropical holoparasitic endophyteBdallophyton bambusarum (Rafflesiaceae)

The genetic population structure inBdallophyton bambusarum, an endoparasite, was studied in ten subpopulations from a subdeciduous tropical forest in Veracruz Mexico. The sample was analyzed using seven polymorphic loci in cellulose acetate electrophoresis. Isozyme data indicated that the subpopulations ofB. bambusarum contained high genetic variability (H_ep = 0.452 ± 0.045, S.E.). Our analysis suggests that almost each inflorescence ofB. bambusarum is an individual. The subpopulations studied were genetically similar (average Nei's genetic identity 0.941 ± 0.051 and F _st values 0.097 ± 0.026), suggesting that genetic differentiation among subpopulations was small. Direct estimates of effective population size was derived from observations of three fluorescent dyes, and from the genetic neighborhood area derived from these data. The neighborhood area, multiplied by the total density of individuals, gave an N_e = 124.84 plants, and when corrected to consider the proportion of males and females gave an N_e = 118.59 individuals. An indirect estimate of Nm was obtained from the F _st values (mean Nm=2.037), giving an indirect estimate of the effective population size N_b = 12.8 individuals. Both values are relatively high when compared to other plant studies. The gene flow and/or effective populations size of the studied subpopulations ofB. bambusarum are believed to be large enough to prevent differentiation among subpopulations due to genetic drift.     

Plants Consumed by Eulemur fulvus in Comoros Islands (Mayotte) and Potential Effects on Intestinal Parasites

The study of self-medication among animals—zoopharmacognosy—is founded on observations that suggest that wild animals use plants with specific biological properties that may be beneficial to them. To verify whether self-vermifugation occurs among Eulemur fulvus in the wild, we studied their feeding behavior in both the dry and humid forests of Mayotte (Comoros Islands). We used the focal individual sampling method over an annual cycle. We conducted a complementary study during the 2-mo mating season, via the scan sampling method (at 10-min intervals). Among the 29 plant species brown lemurs consumed, we tested 16 in vitro as antiparasitic agents on 3 experimental parasite models (Rhabditis pseudoelongata, Trichomonas vaginalis, Entamoeba invadens). We obtained crude extracts to be tested after 2 successive chemical extractions (ethyl acetate and methanol), and 7 of them, belonging to 4 different plant species, showed an antiparasitic property: lemurs consumed Annona squamosa and Mimusops comorensis in large amounts, but ingested Ixora cremixora and Syzygium jambos sporadically. The 4 plants were active on the flagellate but only one of them (Ixora cremixora) also demonstrated antinematode properties. Humans use 2 of the plants as intestinal antiparasitic agents in traditional medicine and include numerous other plants in the diet. The relative lake of amoebas and flagellates in stools of Eulemur fulvus may be related to the consumption of plants with antiprotozoal properties. Nevertheless, in the absence of specific behavior that could be linked to a voluntary therapeutic action during our study, self-vermifugation in Eulemur fulvus remains elusive.     

Size-dependent perennation bud formation and its effect on seedling establishment inVeronicastrum sibiricum ssp.japonicum

Seedling establishment of a perennial,Veronicastrum sibiricum ssp.japonicum colonizing at 1,600 m altitude in Nikko National Park was studied for two years. About half of the first-year seedlings died during the growing season and 45–74 per cent of the seedlings surviving the first summer died during the following winter season. This winter mortality depended on the end-of-season size of the seedling in the previous autumn and was caused mainly by the absence of perennation buds. Seedlings which had emerged on bare ground attained larger size and had higher winter survival than seedlings in a mat of moss. Seedlings germinating in early season attained larger size and had higher probability of winter survival than seedlings germinating in later season.     

Escaping an evolutionary trap: preference and performance of a native insect on an exotic invasive host

Exotic plants may act as population sinks or evolutionary traps for native herbivores. The native butterfly Pieris oleracea lays eggs on garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata, but larvae develop very poorly on this exotic invasive plant. We examined oviposition preference of individual females and larval performance of their offspring for individuals from one area where garlic mustard is well established and one where it is absent. These data were used to assess whether garlic mustard is being incorporated into or excluded from the diet. Females from the area without garlic mustard showed a wide range of preference, families had low larval survival on garlic mustard, and larval survivorship showed no correlation with mothers’ preferences. Females from the area with garlic mustard preferred it to the native host, and larval survivorship on garlic mustard was positively correlated with the mother’s preference. Individuals surviving on garlic mustard took longer to pupate and weighed >30% less compared to pupae reared on normal hosts. Our results suggest that where garlic mustard is well established P. oleracea may be adapting to this plant by both improved larval performance and increased adult female oviposition preference for it.     

Life histories of desert geophytes —the demographic consequences of reproductive biomass partitioning patterns

Summary During five consecutive growing seasons (winters) ca. 110 plants of the desert geophyte Bellevalia desertorum were marked individually in a 25 m² plot on a south-facing slope in the central Negev Desert of Israel. The number of rosette leaves of each plant was recorded, as well as whether it flowered and produced seeds. Multiple regression analysis of the data on the B. desertorum individuals showed that the reproductive state of a plant was determined by 1) its previous size and 2) the current conditions (rainfall), but not by previous conditions, nor by previous reproductive activity. Plant surveys supported these findings. These demographic results were consistent with the current understanding of the reproductive resource allocation pattern of B. desertorum. Flowering was most affected by rainfall until January of the same season, the number of leaves by rainfall until March and seed set was by the total annual amount. Surveys in populations ofB. eigii, a species of more mesic habitats in the Negev Desert suggested that in this species there is a negative effect of previous reproduction in combination with the previous and current conditions, which is also expected from its biomass partitioning pattern.The significance of demographic studies of individual plants in natural populations for the interpretation of experimentally determined resource partitioning patterns was discussed.     

Effects of competitive asymmetry on a local density model of plant interference

Although competition between plants is usually asymmetric (i.e. larger plants have a disproportionate effect on smaller plants) almost all models of plant competition at the local level have assumed symmetric competition. We add a simple version of competitive asymmetry to the local density neighborhood models of plant interference and population dynamics developed by Pacala & Silander (1985, Am. Nat. 125, 385-411; 1987, Oikos 48, 217-224) by assuming that plants within a neighborhood can be put in a linear dominance hierarchy based upon their initial size. The size of a focal plant is a function of the number of dominant and the number of subordinate neighbors within its neighborhood, with subordinate neighbors having less of an effect than dominant ones. Asymmetry prevents precipitous changes in focal plant size with changes in local density, making the relationship between focal plant size and local density hyperbolic, even if the symmetric model is not hyperbolic. Thus, asymmetry makes the model conform to the law of constant final yield, irrespective of the form of the relationship between plant size and local crowding. Asymmetry also prevents population dynamic oscillations in the model in cases in which it would occur in the absence of asymmetry. The results show that asymmetry has major effects on a model of local interference in plants, and point to the importance of including it in such models.     

Some effects of giant Andean stem-rosettes on ground microclimate,and their ecological significance

The effect of giant Andean stem-rosettes (Coespeletia lutescens) on air and soil temperatures was studied in the Páramo de Piedras Blancas (Venezuela) at 4265 and 4385 m altitude during the dry season, which is the coldest season in this tropical mountain area. Maximum air temperatures beneath a plant canopy were only slightly higher than in the open. Minimum temperatures below the stem-rosettes were 4.7° to 7.0°C higher than in the open. This substantially reduced the intensity of nightly freezing. Soil temperature minima at 20 cm depth were 2.4° to 4.2°C higher below plants, but maxima were somewhat lower than in bare soil. These microclimatic alterations are ecologically significant for stemprosette seedlings, which should have a higher probability of survival due to the reduced frequency of frost and needle ice formation below large plants. Warmer soils at night should also result in greater water uptake by seedlings during the early morning hours, thus reducing dry-season mortality.     

Plant regeneration of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Erigeron breviscapus</Emphasis> (vant.) Hand. Mazz. and its chromatographic fingerprint analysis for quality control

An efficient micropropagation system for Erigeron breviscapus (vant.) Hand. Mazz., an important medicinal plant for heart disease, has been developed. Shoot organogenesis occurred from E. breviscapus leaf explants inoculated on a medium supplemented with a combination of plant growth regulators. On average, 17 shoots per leaf explant were produced after 30 days when they were cultured on MS basal salts and vitamin medium containing 5 μM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 5 μM 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). All the regenerated shoots formed complete plantlets on a medium containing 2.5–10 μM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) within 30 days, and 80.2% of the regenerated plantlets survived and grew vigorously in field conditions. Based on the variation in common peaks and the produced amount of the most important bioactive component, scutellarin, a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprinting system was developed for quality control of these micropropagated plants. Chemical constituents in E. breviscapus micropropagated plants varied during plant development from regeneration to maturation, the latter of which showed the most similar phytochemical profile in comparison with mother plants. The regeneration protocol and HPLC fingerprint analysis developed here provided a new approach to quality control of micropropagated plants producing secondary metabolites with significant implications for germplasm conservation.