Sexual dimorphism in clonal growth forms and ramet distribution patterns in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rumex acetosella</Emphasis> (Polygonaceae) |
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Authors: | Teruya Fujitaka Satoki Sakai |
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Institution: | (1) Mie Fisheries High School, 2578, Wagu, Shima, Mie 517-0703, Japan;(2) Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba, Sendai 980-8578, Japan |
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Abstract: | We investigated clonal traits in the dioecious herb Rumex acetosella to characterize sexual dimorphism in clonal forms and to correlate below-ground clonal patterns and above-ground ramet distributions.
We recorded creeping root length, branching patterns, ramet and clump (caespitose ramets from the same position on the root)
sprouting patterns, and biomass allocations in three females and males. We also estimated the patch size of flowering ramets
within a quadrat. No sexual dimorphism was detected in the frequencies of branches and flowering ramets per root length. Male
plants allocated proportionally more biomass to below-ground organs. Total root length did not differ between the sexes. Females
sprouted more clumps with fewer flowering ramets per root length than males, which sprouted fewer clumps with more flowering
ramets, which meant that clump sprouting patterns were phalanx-like in females and guerrilla-like in males. Flowering ramets
were aggregately distributed in both females and males and patch sizes were similar between sexes, indicating that the spreader
propagations were not found in the guerrilla-like males. We assumed that sexual dimorphism occurred in response to physiological
integration for higher reproductive effort in females. |
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Keywords: | Sexual dimorphism Clonal growth form Spatial distribution Rumex acetosella Polygonaceae |
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