HEAVY METAL ACCUMULATION AND THE NATURE OF EDAPHIC ENDEMISM IN THE GENUS CALOCHORTUS (LILIACEAE)

Bulb and leaf tissues from five species in the genus Calochortus and the soils from collection sites were analyzed for cation and trace element concentrations. All five species, only three of which are considered ultramafic endemics, possessed high concentrations of nickel and copper in both the bulbs and leaves, but not at levels high enough (> 1% dry wt) to be considered hyperaccumulators. Only moderate to trace amounts of cobalt and chromium were detected in both plant tissues. Calcium-magnesium ratios, typically low in ultramafic soils and plants, were low in bulb tissue, but two to 10 times higher in leaf tissue. The ability to tolerate excessively high levels of nickel and other heavy metals may be a physiological exaptation of the genus Calochortus and not necessarily an evolutionary response by several species to life on an ultramafic substrate. The nature of “serpentine” endemism is discussed in the context of heavy metal accumulation by various plant species.