Demography and reproductive strategies of a polycarpic perennial, Trillium apetalon (Trilliaceae)
To investigate the connection between demographic strategies and reproductive strategies of a polycarpic perennial herb, Trillium apetalon Makino, we conducted three studies. First, we monitored the fate of individuals and the flowering behavior of T. apetalon for 12 years and used a transition matr...
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Published in | Plant species biology Vol. 16; no. 3; pp. 209 - 217 |
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Main Authors | , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Melbourne, Australia
Blackwell Science Asia Pty. Ltd
01.12.2001
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | To investigate the connection between demographic strategies and reproductive strategies of a polycarpic perennial herb, Trillium apetalon Makino, we conducted three
studies. First, we monitored the fate of individuals and the flowering behavior of
T. apetalon for 12 years and used a transition matrix model to analyze the
demography of the population. The analysis revealed that it takes a long time for
individuals to go through one‐leaf stage in juveniles. Elasticity analysis showed
that the survival of flowering individuals was a decisive factor in the dynamics
of the population. Furthermore, we found that the average remaining lifetime of flowering
individuals was high relative to the other three stages. Second, to elucidate the
demographic consequences of organ preformation, we investigated the development of
flower buds for future years. We observed three to six flower buds per rhizome, suggesting
that flower buds for the next 3–6 years were ready in advance in this plant.
Third, the results of breeding experiments clarified that although this species appears
to have a substantial capacity for both inbreeding and outbreeding, inbreeding plays
an important role in seed production, and that crossing experiments (direct cross‐pollination
and self pollination) yielded similar seed‐ovule ratios to those obtained from open‐pollinated
individuals. Our three studies suggest that the adult survival and continuous flowering
strategies of T. apetalon obtained from demographic analysis are closely interlinked with breeding systems and preformation of flower buds. |
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Bibliography: | istex:744BAB22A00D3D25627B32D92F1065735C39E01A ark:/67375/WNG-68FCRHP9-F ArticleID:PSBI62 Present address: 303–204 Greentown Makishima, Motoyashiki 51‐1, Makishima‐cho, Uji, Kyoto 611‐0041, Japan. 1 |
ISSN: | 0913-557X 1442-1984 |
DOI: | 10.1046/j.1442-1984.2001.00062.x |