Response of Polygonatum Multiflorum and P. Odoratum morphological Characteristics and Population Structure to Variation in Environmental Factors

Abstract

AbstractThe morphological variation and population structure were studied in seven populations of Polygonatum multiflorum and 19 populations of P. odoratum. The mean number of flowers per shoot and per inflorescence as well as inflorescence number per shoot in both species correlated negatively with total tree and shrub canopy cover, while the mean number of flowers per inflorescence in P. odoratum correlated positively with the soil pH. The shoot density and life stage composition in P. odoratum populations depended on total tree and shrub canopy cover, which negatively correlated with the density of generative shoots in populations of both species. The results of this study revealed the crucial effect of light availability expressed via total tree and shrub canopy cover in the habitats of Polygonatum species to their flowering intensity and population structure.