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Title: Differentiation in growth and biomass allocation among three native Alternathera philoxeroides varieties from Argentina

Author
item XIN, JIA - Fudan University
item XIAO-YUN, PAN - Fudan University
item SOSA, ALEJANDRO - South American Biological Control Lab(SABCL)

Submitted to: Plant Species Biology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/9/2009
Publication Date: 5/2/2010
Citation: Xin, J., Xiao-Yun, P., Sosa, A.J. 2010. Differentiation in growth and biomass allocation among three native Alternathera philoxeroides varieties from Argentina. Plant Species Biology.Vol.25;Issue 2, p.85-92.

Interpretive Summary: In order to understand the biology of an invasive plant species, we conducted a common garden experiment to examine the genetically based differentiation in growth and biomass allocation among three native alligator weed. These so called varieties had been separated through morphological features. We found that plants from northern Argentina differ from the central´s and the southern ´s ones due to relative growth and size. We found a different geographical pattern that could be explained through different histories across latitudes. Those varieties in northern and central area of Argentina seem to be more “invasive” then the one in the south.

Technical Abstract: Knowledge about the life-history traits of native conspecifics of exotic invasive plants can be of fundamental importance in exploring their origin of invasiveness and disentangling distinct invasion mechanisms. We conducted a common garden experiment to examine genetically based differentiation in growth and biomass allocation among three native Alternanthera philoxeroides varieties (Alternanthera philoxeroides var. obtusifolia, Alternanthera philoxeroides var. acutifolia and Alternanthera philoxeroides var. lancifolia) from Argentina. Results showed that the high-latitude var. obtusifolia had lower values of relative growth rate and plant size. In contrast, the low-latitude var. acutifolia showed distinctly higher growth vigor. The mid-latitude var. lancifolia generally showed intermediate growth vigor. Regarding allocation, var. obtusifolia allocated a distinctly higher proportion of biomass to storage roots and leaves, whereas var. acutifolia and var. lancifolia allocated more biomass to stems. This pattern of variation might be the outcome of evolutionary differentiation in response to their geographic distributions and local habitats The acutifolia and lancifolia varieties may have higher potential invasiveness than var. obtusifolia.