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Dry soil determines the pseudoviviparous reproduction in Comanthera nivea (Eriocaulaceae) in the Campos Rupestres in south‐eastern Brazil
Author(s) -
Lombello Juliana C.,
Biondi Michel,
Teodoro Grazielle S.,
Coelho Flávia F.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plant species biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.419
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1442-1984
pISSN - 0913-557X
DOI - 10.1111/1442-1984.12255
Subject(s) - biology , water content , rosette (schizont appearance) , asexual reproduction , reproduction , canopy , habitat , moisture , botany , agronomy , horticulture , ecology , geography , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , engineering , immunology
Pseudovivipary is an asexual reproduction strategy correlated with extreme environments. Comanthera nivea occurs in habitats with low water retention. This study investigated the effect of soil moisture availability on C. nivea pseudoviviparous reproduction and flowering. We established four permanent plots (1 × 1 m), two in a shaded area, in which we marked 15 rosettes in each plot, and two in a full‐sun area, in which we marked 10 rosettes in each plot. We made monthly observations from August 2016 to January 2017, to quantify the number of flower heads and of pseudoviviparous ramets per rosette, and measured soil moisture. Our results showed a high correlation between soil moisture and flowering. Flowering in C. nivea occurs in periods of increased soil moisture, whereas pseudoviviparous reproduction occurs in the driest period. The advantages of a pseudoviviparous canopy‐forming strategy in habitats with scarcity of water in the soil are discussed.