Abstract
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) is an infamous invasive alien plant that is widely distributed in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. To investigate the vegetative reproduction, growth, survival strategy, and the function of leaves in fragment of A. philoxeroides under different water conditions, two water control experiments were conducted with different leaf treatments: (1) water control with stolon fragments, and (2) water control with plants. The water control was subjected to five levels: I 30% soil water content, II 70% soil water content, III 97% soil water content, IV water depth of 5 cm, and V water depth of 10 cm in combination with the two leaf treatments, fragments with two leaves and fragments without leaves. Based on the results, A. philoxeroides produced a significantly higher stem length, node number, leaf number, stem biomass, leaf biomass, and total biomass in the 97% soil water content and in treatments with leaves. Additionally, the stem mass ratio increased and the root mass ratio decreased with the increase of the water content. In Exp. 1, the survival rate was the highest in the 97% water content and was 0 in the 30% water content. Therefore, the leaves of stolon fragments contribute to the vegetative reproduction and growth of A. philoxeroides. In response to different water conditions, A. philoxeroides adopts different strategies according to the resource reserves by itself, which are conducive to its survival and widespread occurrence.
Highlights
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) is an infamous invasive alien plant that is widely distributed in aquatic and terrestrial habitats
We propose to use stolon fragments with or without leaves to carry out water control experiments at five levels on vegetative reproduction fragments and the plants half a month after the reproduction of A. philoxeroides to address the following questions: (1) Can stolon fragments of A. philoxeroides reproduce asexually under drought and submergence? (2) Under what water conditions can A. philoxeroides survive? (3) What strategies do A. philoxeroides adopt under different water conditions? (4) What is the effect of leaves on the fragment of A. philoxeroides under different water conditions?
The water conditions and leaf treatments affected all measurements of A. philoxeroides plants in Exp. 1 (Table 1)
Summary
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) is an infamous invasive alien plant that is widely distributed in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. To investigate the vegetative reproduction, growth, survival strategy, and the function of leaves in fragment of A. philoxeroides under different water conditions, two water control experiments were conducted with different leaf treatments: (1) water control with stolon fragments, and (2) water control with plants. Studies have shown that A. philoxeroides has lower genetic diversity[6,7], higher phenotypic p lasticity[8,9], a higher growth r ate[10], more vegetative r eproduction[11], and a stronger ability to spread than its native congener species[10,12] It has different anatomical structures in different water c onditions[13]. Investigation on the growth performance of a plant in the vegetative reproduction and seedling stages in response to water availability will be helpful to elucidate the strategies adopted by A. philoxeroides to cope with different water conditions. Whether this inhibits the vegetative reproduction or not and whether different water conditions change the effect of leaf transpiration on vegetative stolon fragments have not been answered by current studies
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