Am. J. Bot. Botany 2008 Ad
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (12)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mendoza, A.
Right arrow Articles by Franco, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Mendoza, A.
Right arrow Articles by Franco, M.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Mendoza, A.
Right arrow Articles by Franco, M.

American Journal of Botany, Vol 85, 521, Copyright © 1998 by Botanical Society of America, Inc.

POPULATION BIOLOGY

Sexual reproduction and clonal growth in Reinhardtia gracilis (Palmae), an understory tropical palm

A Mendoza and M Franco

Patterns of sexual reproduction and clonal growth were investigated in the understory palm Reinhardtia gracilis var. gracilior over a 3-yr period. R. gracilis is a very abundant clonal palm in the tropical rain forest of Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México. Because ramets form clumps, genets are easily identified in the field. Genets were monitored in a 0.5-ha area, and classified by size according to the number of ramets they possessed. In contrast to clonal growth, sexual reproduction was highly dependent on genet size. The probability of reproduction, the number of inflorescences, and the number of fruits produced were positively correlated with genet size. However, neither the probability of producing a ramet, nor the number of ramets produced per genet were correlated with genet size. Over the 3 yr of study, 55% of the genet population had at least one ramet with reproductive structures, while <1% (a single genet in one year) had six ramets with flowers. Thirty-two percent of the mature genets reproduced during each of three consecutive years. In contrast, 58% of the genets produced no new ramets during these 3 yr. No evidence was found of a trade-off between clonal growth and sexual reproduction. Ramet production increases genet size and this in turn increases genet reproductive performance. Clonal growth in this species may be viewed as a growth strategy that tends to maximize genet fitness.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Am. J. Bot.Home page
M. C. Sampaio, F. X. Pico, and F. R. Scarano
Ramet demography of a nurse bromeliad in Brazilian restingas
Am. J. Botany, April 1, 2005; 92(4): 674 - 681.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Bot.Home page
W. G. Abrahamson and J. N. Layne
Relation of ramet size to acorn production in five oak species of xeric upland habitats in south-central Florida
Am. J. Botany, January 1, 2002; 89(1): 124 - 131.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1998 by the Botanical Society of America, Inc.