Abstract
Peanutgrass, Amphicarpum purshii, is a predominantly selling annual that exhibits an amphicarpic reproductive strategy, producing spikelets (and seeds) both above and below the soil surface. Both aerial and subterranean spikelets are self‐fertile, but only the aerial spikelets are chasmogamous and capable of cross‐pollination. This species mostly grows in disturbed areas of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. To examine life history variation, 60 quantitative characters were measured on twelve families raised from seeds collected from the aerial panicles of twelve parents grown in the greenhouse. Only 19 (= 31.7%) of the traits showed significant between‐family phenotypic variation, and the mean percentage of the total variation due to family was 14.9 (N = 60 characters). Percentage biomass allocation and vegetative characters showed the highest narrow‐sense heritabilities. Traits directly relevant to fitness such as subterranean seed set and seed weight of both seed types showed the least genetic variation. This low variation could reflect genetic fixation and/or developmental canalization of those fitness components important to survival in disturbed, early‐successional habitats.
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