Abstract

Summary Plants on different serpentine outcrops in France, Italy, Austria, and Federal Republic of Germany were analysed for their contents of Ni, Cr, Co, Co., Mg, K, Na, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and P. As a rule leaves contain 0.2 to 2.6 μ g-atom/g dry weight (10-150 ppm), only Alyssum bertolonii Desv. reaches maximum values of 220 μg-atom/g (13,000 ppm). Grasses are low, while representatives of Brasaicaceae are high in Ni content. Cr and Co only reach values of μ g-atom/g (5–50 ppm) and μ g-atom/g (3–20 ppm), respectively. Plants on serpentine are enabled to balance the infavourable Ca/Mg-ratio of the soil in various ways. In the leaves this ratio varies from 0.2 to 4.4. At least for the representatives of Brassicaceae there is a connection between Ca and Ni metabolism. Roots of serpentine plants mostly contain higher amounts of heavy metals than the leaves, the latter possess higher levels than the stalks. Within the nickel accumulator plant Alyssum bertolonii the Ni content increases from the root via the stem to the leaves. The same is true for Co. The cortex of the roots of all the plants analysed contains as an average 6 times higher Ni, 13 times higher Cr, and 2 times higher Co levels than the wood.

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