Abstract
The ability to propagate via small diaspores is crucial for the invasion of a clone plant that does not reproduce sexually in its introduced range. We investigated the effects of node and internode adjacent mode, fragment type, burial orientation and position of the node in relation to the soil surface on the sprouting and growth of alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Griseb.). All the factors had effects and interaction effects on the sprouting rate and growth. As a whole fragment in all treatments, the fragments with basal node buried upward on the soil surface, exhibited the best above-ground growth and root growth. The one-node fragment with basal node buried downward above the soil surface and upward under the soil surface significantly decreased the above-ground growth and root growth compared to that of the two-node fragment. Therefore, the one-node fragments were more affected by environmental conditions than the two-node fragments. The results indicated that reducing the number of nodes of a fragment and burying the node under the soil or orienting it downward above the soil surface could be applied to control the invasion of alligator weed.
Highlights
Between basipetal and acropetal directions[14,15]
These results suggested that the effect of the adjacent mode of the node and internode differed on growth in the two fragment types
The results partly supported our first two hypotheses, suggesting that the effects of the adjacent mode of the node and internode on the sprouting and growth of small fragments depend on fragment type, and burial orientation changed the interactive effects of fragment type and the adjacent mode of the node and internode on alligator weed
Summary
Between basipetal and acropetal directions[14,15]. The apical and basal stolon internodes seem to differ in the function of carbohydrate supply. We conducted two experiments in a phytotron to investigate whether the adjacent mode of the node and internode, fragment type, burial orientation and the position of the node with respect to the soil surface would affect the sprouting, rooting and growth of the stoloniferous, invasive herb alligator weed. We examined stolon fragments differing in the adjacent mode of the node and internode (middle node, apical node and basal node), fragment type (one-node and two-node) and burial orientation (horizontal, upward and downward). In this experiment, the nodes were on the soil surface. We tested the following hypotheses: (1) the adjacent mode of the node and internode will affect the sprouting and growth of two types of fragments, and the growth may be larger in the basal node; (2) burial orientation will alter the effects of the adjacent mode of the node and internode on sprouting and growth; and (3) the position of the node above the soil surface and under the soil surface will decrease the sprouting and growth of alligator weed
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