HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by van Mölken, T. Articles by de Kroon, H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by van Mölken, T. Articles by de Kroon, H. Agricola Articles by van Mölken, T. Articles by de Kroon, H.

Only seed size matters for germination in different populations of the dimorphic Tragopogon pratensis subsp. pratensis (Asteraceae)¹

Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Radboud University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

ABSTRACT

Many studies have focused on the ecology of seed dimorphism, the production of two seed types by a single plant. Morphology and seed size are usually correlated, but how morphology affects germination percentage and seedling growth is poorly understood. Here we explicitly separate these effects for nine populations of the dimorphic species Tragopogon pratensis subsp. pratensis. Larger seeds yielded higher germination percentages, yet seed morphology had no additional direct effect on germination. Neither seed size nor seed morphology affected seedling growth. Neither germination nor seedling growth varied among populations, but seed head varied significantly. Results show that germination is mainly controlled by seed size rather than by seed morphology. This study is one of the few to distinguish explicitly between seed size and seed morphology effects on ecological characteristics and suggests that seed dimorphism may exert its ecological effects predominantly through its correlated size.

Key Words: Asteraceae • germination • The Netherlands • population • seed dimorphism • seed morphology • seed size • seedling growth

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Munzbergova Determinants of species rarity: population growth rates of species sharing the same habitat Am. J. Botany, December 1, 2005; 92(12): 1987 - 1994. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]