Comparative growth and development of four spurred anoda (Anoda cristata) accessions

Abstract

Field studies were conducted in Colorado and New Mexico to examine growth and development of spurred anoda accessions from Colorado, Mississippi, New Mexico, and North Carolina. Accessions were grown in a common garden in both locations. Leaf and stem weight ratios, leaf area ratio, and leaf area per plant were determined. North Carolina and Mississippi accessions were similar in morphology and appearance. Leaf shape, degree of pubescence, and coloration were different in the Colorado and New Mexico accessions. At both sites, the Colorado accession was taller and the canopy wider than other accessions. In Colorado in 1993, North Carolina and New Mexico accessions had the highest total weight followed by Colorado, then Mississippi. In 1994, final total weights of North Carolina, Mississippi, and New Mexico accessions were similar and greater than the Colorado accession. All accessions had similar final total weights in New Mexico in 1993. In 1994, Mississippi, North Carolina, and New Mexico accessions had similar total weights. The Colorado accession flowered earlier than other accessions. Seeds from Mississippi and North Carolina accessions grown in Colorado were heavier than the New Mexico or Colorado accession. This research demonstrates why making inferences of weed biology for variable species that occur over diverse geographic and climatic conditions is difficult and why regionally specific data are needed for variable species.