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 (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mal, T. K. Articles by Lovett-Doust, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Mal, T. K. Articles by Lovett-Doust, J. Agricola Articles by Mal, T. K. Articles by Lovett-Doust, J.

Phenotypic plasticity in vegetative and reproductive traits in an invasive weed, Lythrum salicaria (Lythraceae), in response to soil moisture¹

Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115 USA; ³Department of Biological Sciences, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4, Canada

ABSTRACT

In colonizing species, high phenotypic plasticity can contribute to survival and propagation in heterogenous adventive environments, and it has been suggested as a predictor of invasiveness. Observation of natural populations of an invasive species, Lythrum salicaria salicaria, indicated extensive variation in its growth and reproductive traits. Phenotypic plasticity of different life history traits of L. salicaria was investigated using vegetative clones of each of 12 genotypes from one population in Ontario, Canada. We chose soil moisture as the treatment factor because of its importance in wetland species and raised all 12 genotypes in each of four soil moisture treatments. We examined an array of vegetative and reproductive traits, including root and shoot mass, shoot and inflorescence length, total seed set, floral mass, and morphometric variables. All observed vegetative as well as reproductive traits demonstrated significant phenotypic plasticity in response to soil moisture treatment. Even the stigma–anther separation involved significant genotype by environment interactions, suggesting that soil moisture may modify the relative positions of anthers and stigma. Compared to vegetative traits, most reproductive traits demonstrated crossing reaction norms, implying that the average differences in those traits among genotypes vary with the environment maintaining the genetic variation in a population.

Key Words: colonizing weed • norm of reaction • phenotypic plasticity • purple loosestrife • soil moisture • tristyly

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. M. Caruso Plasticity of inflorescence traits in Lobelia siphilitica (Lobeliaceae) in response to soil water availability Am. J. Botany, April 1, 2006; 93(4): 531 - 538. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]