Variation in seed and seedling traits in Pithecellobium pedicellare,a tropical rain forest tree |
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Authors: | Hyesoon Kang Graciela Jaschek Kamaljit S Bawa |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, 02125 Boston, MA, USA;(2) Present address: Department of Biology Education, Seoul National University, 151-742 Seoul, Korea |
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Abstract: | Summary
Pithecellobium pedicellare, a mimosoid legume, is a large canopy tree in the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica. We examined the pattern of variation in seed weight, germination date, hypocotyl length (stem), and rachis length (the first leaf) of the seedlings in this species. Seeds collected from widely dispersed individual trees at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, were randomly planted in blocks, and grown under controlled, indoor conditions for about 2 weeks. There-fore, we were able to quantify the effects of maternal family on mean seed weight and the effects of maternal family and microenvironment on the remaining traits examined. A significant effect of maternal family was detected for all traits. In particular, the maternal effects on germination date and seedling size traits which were consistently significant even after controlling the initial seed weight may indicate that the maternal effects reflect, at least to some extent, maternal genetic control over these traits. Despite overall strong maternal effects, the performance of maternal siblings, such as the rachis length, differed among blocks. The sensitivity of maternal siblings to the local environments may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variability in this highly outcrossing tropical species. |
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Keywords: | Pithecellobium pedicellare Seed weight variation Maternal effects Genetic variation Tropical rain forests |
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