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Comparative Ecology of Rubus Species (Rosaceae) II. Reproductive Characteristics of Three Rubus Species, R. palmatus var. coptophyllus, R. microphyllus and R. crataegifolius
Author(s) -
Suzuki Wajirou
Publication year - 1990
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/j.1442-1984.1990.tb00186.x
Subject(s) - biology , sucker , cane , rubus , botany , horticulture , zoology , biochemistry , sugar
The reproductive characteristics of three Rubus species ( R. palmatus Thunberg var. coptophyllus (A. Gray) O. Kuntze, R. microphyllus L.f., and R. crataegifolius Bunge) were critically investigated using materials collected from the forest floor of an 85‐year‐old Hinoki ( Chamaecyparis obtusa ) plantation in central Honshu, Japan. The underground branching patterns of these species were also investigated at the nursery. R. microphyllus produced the largest number of fruits in the same cane size among the three species (164 fruits per cane of 300 cm 3 in D 0 2H). However, the largest number of seeds produced per cane was in R. crataegifolius , where the maximum seed number attained 74,500 per cane, which was twice as many as those of the other two species. There was no apparent difference in dry matter allocation to fruits in these species. The three species produced numerous suckers by underground branching, forming large clones. In the open site at the nursery, the number of suckers produced by underground branching increased exponentially. On the other hand, in natural populations occurring in closed sites, the number of suckers produced by underground branching in the three species was by contrast much smaller. Three Rubus species proved to possess similar perennation as well as reproductive strategies, although R. palmatus var. coptophyllus shows much lower seed production and slower sucker production than the other two species.