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INFLORESCENCE CHARACTERS AND REPRODUCTIVE PROFICIENCY IN DANTHONIA SERICEA POPULATIONS
Author(s) -
Quinn James A.,
Rotsettis James,
Fairbrothers David E.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1972.tb10137.x
Subject(s) - biology , inflorescence , panicle , population , agronomy , habitat , botany , latitude , ecology , geography , demography , geodesy , sociology
The purpose of this research was the comparison of inflorescence and fruiting characters of populations of Danthonia sericea in relation to both latitude and habitat. Mature panicles were collected in 1969 and 1970 from six New Jersey (three well drained and three bog) and four Georgia (two in well‐drained sites and two in seepage areas adjacent to granite outcrops) populations. Data analyses showed significant differences between population groupings based on latitude (New Jersey vs. Georgia) and habitat (well drained vs. wet). Populations from the wetter sites had significantly longer lemmas; populations from the well‐drained sites had a significantly greater number of spikelets per panicle. Number of spikelets per panicle in Georgia populations significantly exceeded that of New Jersey populations, while caryopses in the New Jersey populations were significantly heavier. In both New Jersey and Georgia, populations from the relatively drier sites had significantly heavier caryopses and a greater percentage of florets with caryopses. Since the well‐drained group and the Georgia group both had a greater number of florets and a greater percentage of florets with caryopses, these two groups were shown to have the greatest reproductive proficiency. Possible adaptive significance of differences in number of seed produced and in seed weight is discussed.