Growth and reproduction in higher plants II. Analytical study of growth and reproduction ofErythronium japonicum

Growth process of three different sized individuals (one of them was a flowering individual) ofErythronium japonicum was surveyed in a field. They were simulated by the mathematical models reported in a previous paper of this series (Yokoi, 1976). The simulations described well the actual growth of three individuals. Two aspects of reproduction of this plant, seed production and perennial growth by bulb, were also simulated. The information obtained from the simulations indicated that this plant has to spend nine or ten year-period in the non-flowering stage after germination. Distribution of individual size in this plant population agreed well with the results obtained from the simulation. This investigation made clear the mechanism of life of a spring ephemeral quantitatively, and showed a merit of the mathematical models reported in the previous paper.