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Phenotypic trade‐offs in the sexual reproduction of Salicaceae from flood plains
Author(s) -
Karrenberg Sophie,
Suter Marianne
Publication year - 2003
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 - 10.3732/ajb.90.5.749
Subject(s) - biology , salicaceae , longevity , germination , reproduction , sexual reproduction , botany , woody plant , horticulture , ecology , genetics
We studied the relationship of seed mass to seed longevity (controlled conditions) and to seed number in six species of Salicaceae ( Populus nigra , Salix alba , S. daphnoides , S. elaeagnos , S. purpurea , and S. triandra ) that frequently co‐occur on European flood plains. These species regenerate sexually in the same habitat but differ in seed mass. Half‐viability periods, i.e., the time after which 50% of the initially viable seeds no longer germinate, were short (between 6.5 ± 0.1 and 23.3 ± 0.3 d), and large numbers of seeds were produced (between 10 000 and 1 × 10 6 per plant). Mean seed mass ranged from 0.02 ± 0.001 mg in S. triandra to 0.80 ± 0.05 mg in P. nigra . Whereas seed mass was, against expectation, positively related to half‐viability periods, seed number generally decreased with increasing seed mass. Thus, a phenotypic trade‐off between seed mass and seed number appears to be accentuated by an increase in seed longevity with increasing seed mass.