Experimental culture of non-indigenous Juncus bufonius from King George Island, South Shetland Island, Antarctica

Abstract

Juncus bufonius L. (Juncaceae) is recognized by the US Department of Agriculture as a weed or invasive plant.Recently, we reported on J. bufonius L. var. bufonius associated with the native vascular plants Deschampsia antarctica andColobanthus quitensis in the environs of the Polish Arctowski Station, King George Island, in the Maritime Antarctica. In thisstudy, we evaluated the developmental stages and morphological characteristics of J. bufonius plants cultivated in controlledconditions beginning with seeds obtained from plants of the Antarctic population. Germination occurred at 3 weeks and thegermination percentage was low (22.5%). The average time between the anthesis and seed formation was 7 weeks, similar to thatreported for other species in the Juncaceae. According to data reported in the literature, Antarctic individuals were significantlysmaller than their relatives growing in other conditions, except for the number of inflorescences. The morphological characteristicsof a species vary according to its distribution and the edaphoclimatic environment where it occur; cosmopolitan plants shuch as J. bufonius also have reduced stature in cold environments. The low percentage germination may have been due to water availabilityin the plant chamber in which the study was conducted. J. bufonius is intolerant of dry environments, and once it suffers hydricstress its recovery is very low; thus, a moister environment could be beneficial. J. bufonius has become established amongst nativevegetation near Arctowski Station and without careful control or eradication; it may have the potential to spread far beyond thesite, as has happened with the alien grass Poa annua as human disturbance and climate warming increase. Citation: Cuba-Diaz M, Fuentes E, Rondanelli-Reyes M, et al. Experimental culture of non-indigenous Juncus bufonius from King George Island, South Shetland Island, Antarctica. Adv Polar Sci, 2015, 26: 24-29, doi: 10.13679/j.advps.2015.1.00024