Atmospheric CO2 enrichment alters energy assimilation, investment and allocation in Xanthium strumarium

Energy-use efficiency and energy assimilation, investment and allocation patterns are likely to influence plant growth responses to increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]). Here, we describe the influence of elevated [CO2] on energetic properties as a mechanism of growth responses in Xanthium strumarium. Individuals of X. strumarium were grown at ambient or elevated [CO2] and harvested. Total biomass and energetic construction costs (CC) of leaves, stems, roots and fruits and percentage of total biomass and energy allocated to these components were determined. Photosynthetic energy-use efficiency (PEUE) was calculated as the ratio of total energy gained via photosynthetic activity (Atotal) to leaf CC. Elevated [CO2] increased leaf Atotal, but decreased CC per unit mass of leaves and roots. Consequently, X. strumarium individuals produced more leaf and root biomass at elevated [CO2] without increasing total energy investment in these structures (CCtotal). Whole-plant biomass was associated positively with PEUE. Whole-plant construction required 16.1% less energy than modeled whole-plant energy investment had CC not responded to increased [CO2]. As a physiological mechanism affecting growth, altered energetic properties could positively influence productivity of X. strumarium, and potentially other species, at elevated [CO2].     

Chemical Composition of Essential Oils of Xanthium spinosum L., an Invasive Species of Corsica

Xanthium spinosum L. is a highly invasive plant originated from South America throughout the world as well as in Corsica Island. The chemical composition of X. spinosum essential oils from 25 Corsican locations was investigated using GC‐FID and GC/MS. Seventy‐four components, which accounted for 96.2% of the total amount, were reported for the first time in the essential oil from aerial parts. The main compounds were eudesma‐4(14),7‐dien‐1β‐ol ( 61 ; 21.3%), germacrene D ( 36 ; 8.8%) and cadalene ( 60 ; 8.7%). Comparison with the literature highlighted the originality of the Corsican essential oil and eudesma‐4(14),7‐dien‐1β‐ol could be used as taxonomical marker to the systematics of the Xanthium genus. The essential oils obtained from separate organs and during the plant vegetative cycle were also studied to gain more knowledge about the correlations between the volatile production and the phenological states of this weed. The production of oxygenated sesquiterpenes was predominant during the plant‐flowering process. The study focuses on direct correlation between the chemical composition of individual 25 oil samples and the morphological differences of the plant. Our results have gained more knowledge about the secondary metabolite production that occurs during the plant life, they could be interesting in order to manage the dispersal of X. spinosum.     

苍耳甾醇物质对菜青虫取食、血淋巴和中肠酶活性及中肠组织的影响

甾醇是植物体内的重要次生物质,具有多种生物活性。为探明植物甾醇类物质对害虫的作用机理,采用叶碟饲喂法进行取食处理后研究了苍耳Xanthium sibiricum中分离纯化的甾醇类组分（甾醇A和甾醇B）对4龄菜青虫Pieris rapae的取食、酶活性以及中肠组织的影响。结果表明： 苍耳甾醇类组分甾醇A和甾醇B能明显抑制菜青虫的取食,拒食中浓度AFC50分别为0.0229 和0.0147 mg/mL;同时,显著降低菜青虫中肠蛋白酶、淀粉酶和羧酸酯酶活性,其中,甾醇B的作用效果较强,处理后24 h和36 h, 对蛋白酶活性抑制率分别为23.74%和58.59%,对中肠羧酸酯酶的活性抑制率分别为49.01%和83.03%;降低血淋巴蛋白质含量,诱导菜青虫血淋巴羧酸酯酶活性的提高;破坏昆虫中肠上皮组织,微杆模糊不清呈消融状,杯状细胞的杯腔基部微绒毛消失。这些结果说明苍耳甾醇类物质对菜青虫的取食抑制可能与对中肠消化酶活性的抑制以及对中肠上皮组织的破坏有关,植物甾醇组分的不同配比影响其对昆虫的作用效果。     

新疆外来入侵植物意大利苍耳和刺苍耳种子的越冬性能

入侵新疆的外来植物意大利苍耳和刺苍耳的果实于深秋季节成熟后,便开始陆续脱落。脱离母体的果实可能会落置在干燥的地面上,还有可能会掉落在水体中,还有部分果实会保留在枝条上并不脱落直到翌年春天。由于越冬生境的差异会直接影响翌年春天种子的萌发活性,为了评价外来入侵植物意大利苍耳和刺苍耳的入侵能力,预测其潜在分布区,为对其实施有效防控提供科学指导。故模拟了其种子在新疆自然条件下可能遭遇的冬季生境类型,设计了4种实验处理,即低温换水浸泡(模拟了落入流水或大型水体中结冰前的生境)、低温不换水浸泡(模拟了落入小型静水中结冰前的生境)、冰冻(模拟了落入水体中结冰后的生境)和干燥冷冻处理(模拟了掉落在干燥地面或一直停留在植株上的生境类型),并以室温干燥储存为对照。处理90 d后,进行种子萌发实验,结果显示干冻、冰冻及低温换水浸泡处理后意大利苍耳的萌发率与对照组无显著差异,不换水浸泡处理降低了意大利苍耳种子的活力,显著降低了其萌发能力。而干冻处理对刺苍耳种子的萌发没有影响,冷水浸泡(换水浸泡和不换水浸泡)显著降低刺苍耳的萌发率,与对照组相比分别下降了37%、65%。冰冻处理后刺苍耳没有萌发。说明意大利苍耳种子对新疆的各种越冬生境均有较好的耐受性,而刺苍耳种子对低温和水淹环境的耐受性较差。鉴于二者种子萌芽习性的特点,建议在全疆范围内的中生、湿生和季节性水涝生境中对意大利苍耳实施全方位的监控,农田、林下、路边、渠旁、湖泊及水库周围都有可能成为其潜在的入侵地;对刺苍耳的重点监测区域则应当放在低纬度、低海拔的中生和中旱生生境,尤其要切实加强南疆各国际口岸进口货物的检疫工作。     

储藏方式和时间对三峡水库消落区一年生植物种子萌发的影响

为了明确不同储藏方式和储藏时间对三峡水库消落区4种1年生植物稗(Echinochloa crusgalli)、苍耳(Xanthium sibiricum)、合萌(Aeschynomene indica)和水蓼(Polygonum hydropiper)种子萌发能力的影响,筛选出有利于其萌发的最佳储藏方式及时间,采取5种储藏方式(室温、冷藏、冷冻、干沙、湿沙)、8个储藏时间段(30、60、90、120、150、180、210、240d)对种子进行储藏实验。在光照培养箱昼25℃/夜20℃和周期性光照(昼12h/夜12h,光强100μmol·m-·2s-1)条件下进行种子萌发,每次萌发持续时间为30d。结果显示:(1)稗、苍耳和水蓼的种子在湿沙储藏条件下萌发起始时间缩短,种子萌发率、萌发指数高于其它储藏方式;湿沙储藏条件下,稗的种子储藏90-180d萌发率达到80%以上,苍耳的种子储藏180d萌发率达(64±2)%,水蓼的种子储藏30-240d萌发率均超过90%。(2)冷冻储藏能有效地解除合萌种子休眠,显著提高其种子萌发率和发芽指数;冷冻储藏90-180d合萌的种子萌发率均超过80%,之间没有显著差异。(3)果皮是限制苍耳种子萌发的主要因素之一,而去除果皮对合萌种子萌发没有显著影响。研究结果建议:采用种子来进行消落区植被恢复和重建时,稗、苍耳和水蓼的最佳储藏方式是湿沙储藏,合萌的最佳储藏方式是冷冻储藏。结合三峡水库水位调度原则,在适宜的储藏方式下,本实验中储藏120-180d的种子能够应用于消落区实地播种中。     

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。     

Nitrogen retranslocation in plants of maize,lupin and cocklebur

Summary In a split root experiment translocation of N from shoot to root was studied using¹⁵NO ₃ ^– . The three plant species selected for this experiment differed significantly with respect to root NRA. For lupin, maize and cocklebur about 80, 50 and 6% of all absorbed NO ₃ ^– was assmilated in the roots, respectively.Although NO ₃ ^– was reduced in the roots of lupin and maize plants to a greater extent than required for the roots' demand for organic N, a significant phloem flow of N from shoot to roots was found in these plants. Unexpectedly, for cocklebur, the plant with the very low root NRA, the fraction of total N present in the root that has been imported from the shoot was only half that as found for lupin and maize.     

Reversal of ethylene action on cocklebur seed germination in relation to duration of pre-treatment soaking and temperature

Abstract At 23°C, both C₂H₄ and CO₂ stimulated the germination of freshly imbibed upper cocklebur (Xanthium pennsylvanicum Wallr.) seeds, but C₂H₄, unlike CO₂, changed to an inhibitor of germination under some soaking conditions. However, when seeds were pre-soaked for more than several hours at 23 °C prior to treatment, C₂H₄ strongly inhibited their germination at 33 °C, the degree of inhibition increasing with the duration of pre-soaking. Maximum inhibition occurred at 1–3 cm³ m^?3 C₂H₄ when seeds were pre-soaked for 1 week; further increases of C₂H₄ concentration and pre-soaking period decreased the inhibitory effect. C₂H₄ was synergistic with CO₂ when C₂H₄ promoted germination, whereas it was antagonistic when inhibitory. Such a transition of the C₂H₄ action occurred at ca. 27 °C. Also 1-andnocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, a C₂H₄ precursor, inhibited the germination of pre-soaked seeds at 33 °C, although it promoted the germination at 23 °C. When pre-soaked seeds were prepared for germination by chilling at 8 °C for 3 d, the inhibitory effect of C₂H₄ on the subsequent germination was manifested even at 23 °C. The reversal of the C₂H₄ action from promotion to inhibition in cocklebur seed germination is discussed in relation to the engagement of two respiratory pathways in the imbibed seeds.     

A bimodal germination response to temperature in cocklebur seeds. I. Cyanide-sensitive and cyanide-resistant respirations

Abstract. Pre-imbibed cocklebur ( Xanthium penn-sylvanicum Wallr.) seeds displayed bimodal germination-temperature responses with two optima at 8 and 33° C. Such germination responses occurred subsequent to bimodal respiration-temperature upsurges at lower and higher temperature regions. At lower temperatures, cocklebur seeds respired predominantly through a cyanide-sensitive cytochrome pathway. A rise in temperature resulted in a marked increase in flux via an alternative pathway, a propyl gallate- (PG) or benzohydroxamic-acid- (BHAM) sensitive pathway, thus resulting in an increase in the ratio of this pathway relative to the cytochrome pathway. Both an increased capacity for the alternative pathway and an increase in the ratio of this pathway to the cytochrome pathway were obtained when pre-imbibed seeds were exposed to either 8 or 33°C for a short period. The effects of low temperature were reduced as the exposure time was prolonged beyond 3d, resulting in a reduction in germination. Neither PG nor BHAM had an inhibitory effect on the chilling-induced germination, but the germination-stimulating effect of high temperatures was less pronounced in the presence of PG or BHAM. At high temperatures, on the other hand, KCN and NaN₃ were ineffective or, rather, slightly inhibited germination. It was thus concluded that low and high temperatures exert their germination-stimulating effects by an essentially similar manner which increases fluxes both via the cytochrome pathway and, especially, via the alternative pathway and, as a result, raises the ratio of the latter to the former.