Flowering Stalks Research Articles

Physiological and transcriptomic analysis of purple flowering stalks (Brassica campestris var. purpurea) under cadmium stress and exogenous glutathione application.

Glutathione (GSH) has a beneficial effect on the response of plants to cadmium (Cd) stress. The physiological and molecular processes by which glutathione influences Cd tolerance in purple flowering stalks (a Brassica vegetable) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of exogenous GSH in alleviating Cd toxicity in purple flowering stalks. On day 10 of the Cd stress treatment, spraying of GSH resulted in an increase in the net photosynthetic rate by 18.48%; enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and the endogenous GSH and ascorbic acid contents; reduced the malondialdehyde and proline content 32.45% and 24.65%, respectively; and reduced the Cd content in the roots by 2.93%. On day 5, the transcriptome analysis showed that the application of GSH up-regulated the expression of 27 genes in the photosynthetic pathway. In contrast, GSH application led to the down-regulation of most genes involved in GSH metabolism, sulfur metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism. These findings will aid future studies of the response of purple flowering stalks to Cd stress.

The Potential of Thymus serpyllum Essential Oil as an Antibacterial Agent against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the Preservation of Sous Vide Red Deer Meat.

Foodborne infections caused by microbes are a serious health risk. Regarding this, customer preferences for "ready-to-eat" or minimally processed (MP) deer meat are one of the main risk factors. Given the health dangers associated with food, essential oil (EO) is a practical substitute used to decrease pathogenic germs and extend the shelf-life of MP meals. Nonetheless, further data regarding EO use in MP meals are required. In order to evaluate new, safer alternatives to chemicals for disease control and food preservation, this research was carried out in the following areas to assess the antibacterial and antibiofilm characteristics of Thymus serpyllum (TSEO) essential oil, which is extracted from dried flowering stalks. Furthermore, this study applied an essential oil of wild thyme and inoculated the sous vide deer meat with Pseudomonas aeruginosa for seven days at 4 °C in an effort to prolong its shelf-life. Against P. aeruginosa, the essential oil exhibited potent antibacterial action. The findings of the minimal biofilm inhibition concentration (MBIC) crystal violet test demonstrated the substantial antibiofilm activity of the TSEO. The TSEO modified the protein profiles of bacteria on glass and plastic surfaces, according to data from MALDI-TOF MS analysis. Moreover, it was discovered that P. aeruginosa was positively affected by the antibacterial properties of TSEO. The anti-Pseudomonas activity of the TSEO was marginally higher in vacuum-packed sous vide red deer meat samples than in control samples. The most frequently isolated species from sous vide deer meat, if we do not consider the applied bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were P. fragi, P. lundensis, and P. taetrolens. These results highlight the antibacterial and antibiofilm qualities of TSEO, demonstrating its potential for food preservation and extending the shelf-life of deer meat.

Precise Determination of Selenium Forms and Contents in Selenium-Enriched Rapeseed Seedlings and Flowering Stalks by HPLC-ICP-MS.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) has the ability of selenium (Se) enrichment. Identification of selenides in Se-rich rapeseed products will promote the development and utilization of high value. By optimizing the Se species extraction process (protease type, extraction reagent, enzyme sample ratio, extraction time, etc.) and chromatographic column, an efficient, stable, and accurate method was established for the identification of Se species and content in rapeseed seedlings and flowering stalks, which were cultured by inorganic Se hydroponics. Five Se compounds, including selenocystine (SeCys2), methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys), selenomethionine (SeMet), selenite (SeIV), and selenate (SeVI) were qualitatively and quantitatively identified. Organoselenium was absolutely dominant in both seedlings and flowering stalks among the detected rapeseed varieties, with 64.18-90.20% and 94.38-98.47%, respectively. Further, MeSeCys, a highly active selenide, predominated in rapeseed flowering stalks with a proportion of 56.36-72.93% and a content of 1707.3-5030.3 μg/kg. This study provides a new source of MeSeCys supplementation for human Se fortification.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Mechanism of Exogenous Selenium in Alleviating Cadmium Stress in Purple Flowering Stalks (Brassica campestris var. purpuraria).

In China, cadmium (Cd) stress has a significant role in limiting the development and productivity of purple flowering stalks (Brassica campestris var. purpuraria). Exogenous selenium supplementation has been demonstrated in earlier research to mitigate the effects of Cd stress in a range of plant species; nevertheless, the physiological and molecular processes by which exogenous selenium increases vegetable shoots' resistance to Cd stress remain unclear. Purple flowering stalks (Brassica campestris var. purpuraria) were chosen as the study subject to examine the effects of treatment with sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) on the physiology and transcriptome alterations of cadmium stress. Purple flowering stalk leaves treated with exogenous selenium had higher glutathione content, photosynthetic capacity, and antioxidant enzyme activities compared to the leaves treated with Cd stress alone. Conversely, the contents of proline, soluble proteins, soluble sugars, malondialdehyde, and intercellular CO2 concentration tended to decrease. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 2643 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were implicated in the response of exogenous selenium treatment to Cd stress. The metabolic pathways associated with flavonoid production, carotenoid synthesis, glutathione metabolism, and glucosinolate biosynthesis were among those enriched in these differentially expressed genes. Furthermore, we discovered DEGs connected to the production route of glucosinolates. This work sheds fresh light on how purple flowering stalks' tolerance to cadmium stress is improved by exogenous selenium.

A Review on: Phytoconstituents, Traditional and Medicinal uses of Taraxacum offinale (Dandelion)

Since 5000 BC, medicinal plants have been used in India as part of the Ayurvedic medical system. Medical professionals frequently use herbal remedies. Taraxacum officinale, commonly called dandelion, is a perennial plant belonging to the family Asteraceae. It is also known as wet-a-bed, lion’s tooth, priest’s crown, blowball, milk gowan, wild endive, white endive, puffball, and Irish daisy. Long and upright flowering stalks with a single terminal inflorescence are present. It has numerous medicinal properties due to phytochemicals found in the plant's flower, leaf, stem, and roots. Sesquiterpenes found in dandelion root extracts. The root also includes a number of phenolic substances. The two sesquiterpenes taraxinic acid b-Dglucopyranoside and 11, 13-dihydrotaraxinic acid b-Dglucopyranoside An extract of combined dandelion leaves and flowers has been found to contain a number of flavonoid glycosides. Dandelion roots and leaves have historically been used to treat liver issues. Additionally, Native Americans used dandelion to treat heartburn, swelling, skin issues, kidney disease, and upset stomach. Research has been conducted to back up the descriptions of taraxacum that have been made so far. Up to doses of 10 g/kg (per oral) and 4 g/kg (intraperitoneal) of dried drug -per kilogramme body weight- in rats and mice, ethanolic extracts demonstrated very low toxicity.

Dissecting the genetic architecture of glucosinolate compounds for quality improvement in flowering stalk tissues of Brassica napus

Glucosinolates (GSLs) and their hydrolytic products contribute to the quality traits of rapeseed flowering stalk tissues, such as taste, flavor and anticarcinogenic properties (Glucoraphanin). However, little is known about the genetic mechanisms of GSL accumulation in rapeseed flowering stalks. In this study, the variation and genetic architecture of GSL metabolites in flowering stalk tissues were investigated for the first time among a panel of 107 accessions. All GSL compounds exhibited continuous and wide variations in the present population. Progoitrin, glucobrassicanapin and gluconapin were the most abundant GSL compounds. Five quantitative trait loci (QTL) significantly associated with three GSL compounds were identified by genome-wide association study. GRA_C04 was under selected during modern breeding, in which the ratio of lower GSL haplotype (HAP2) in the accessions bred before 1990 (52.56%) was significantly lower than that after 1990 (78.95%). Four candidate genes, BnaA01. SOT16, BnaA06. SOT17, BnaA06. MYB51a, and BnaA06. MYB51b, were identified in the GTL_A01 and 4OH_A06 regions. These findings provide new insights into GSL biosynthesis in flowering stalk tissues and facilitate quality improvement in rapeseed flowering stalks.

Variation in the Main Health-Promoting Compounds and Antioxidant Activity of Different Edible Parts of Purple Flowering Stalks (Brassica campestris var. purpuraria) and Green Flowering Stalks (Brassica campestris var. campestris).

Purple flowering stalks and green flowering stalks of Brassica campestris are widely cultivated in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Here, concentrations of the main health-promoting compounds and antioxidant capacity levels were characterized in different parts (leaves, peel, flesh, and inflorescences) of purple and green flowering stalks. There were significant differences in the concentrations of health-promoting compounds between the two variants; the concentrations of pigments, especially anthocyanidins, and gluconapin, were significantly higher in purple flowering stalks than in green flowering stalks, and the progoitrin content was significantly higher in green flowering stalks than in purple flowering stalks. The leaves were judged to be the most nutritional edible part because they had the highest concentrations of pigments, ascorbic acid, proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, and total phenolics. Antioxidant capacity was also highest in the leaves, and it was positively correlated with the concentration of health-promoting compounds. Purple flowering stalks and green flowering stalks were found to be rich in health-promoting compounds, especially glucosinolates. Overall, our findings indicate that consumption of the leaves and peel would provide the most health benefits. Some suggestions are provided regarding the processing and utilization of these edible components.

The influence of onion (Allium cepa L.) mother bulb production conditions on subsequent plant growth and seed quality

The late planting of onions practiced by farmers has decreased the yield and quality of onion seed. This experiment was conducted during 2019 and 2020 at agricultural research farm of Kabul University to study the effect of mother bulb production conditions on subsequent plant growth and seed yield and quality. The study was designed in Randomized Complete Block Design and data for different agronomic traits, flowering habits, seed yield and seed quality were recorded. The recorded data were statistically analyzed with STAR software. The highest leaf area per plant (994.38 cm2) and leaf area index (0.83) were recorded for the plants obtained from mother bulbs grown on 10th March in deep ploughed flat beds. The highest number of flowering stalks per plant (3.83) was recorded for the plants produced from the mother bulbs grown on 10th March in shallow ploughed double row raised beds, it was on far with the plants obtained from the mother bulbs grown on 10th March in deep ploughed flat beds. The highest seed yield (737.27 Kg/Ha) was recorded for the plants obtained from mother bulbs grown on 10th March in shallow ploughed flat beds. This was on far with the seed yield of the plants obtained from the mother bulbs grown on 10th March in deep ploughed flat beds. The results reveal that, mother bulbs produced under early planting dates and deep ploughed flat-bed conditions are more appropriate to produce vigorous plants and higher seed yield of onion. Keywords: Flowering stalks, Growth response, Seed germination, Seed yield  

The ecological, genetic and genomic architecture of local adaptation and population differentiation in Boechera stricta.

Differential local adaptation restricts gene flow between populations inhabiting distinct environments, resulting in isolation by adaptation. In addition to the statistical inferences of genotype-environment associations, an integrative approach is needed to investigate the effect of local adaptation on population divergence at the ecological, genetic and genomic scale. Here, we combine reciprocal transplant, genome-environment association and QTL mapping to investigate local adaptation in Boechera stricta (Drummond's rockcress). With reciprocal transplant experiment, we found local genetic groups exhibit phenotypic characteristics corresponding to the distinct selection forces from different water availability. At the genetic level, the local allele of a major fitness QTL confers higher and sturdier flowering stalks, maximizing the fecundity fitness component under sufficient water supply, and its genetic variation is associated with precipitation across the landscape. At the genomewide scale, we further showed that multiple loci associated with precipitation are highly differentiated between genetic groups, suggesting that local adaptation has a widespread effect on reducing gene flow. This study provides one of the few comprehensive examples demonstrating how local adaptation facilitates population divergence at the trait, gene and genome level.

United Arab Emirates: Adnoc Refining – carbon black

In this study functional micromorphological traits and water repellent attributes of floral and leaf surfaces of Asphodelus ramosus are presented. The branched inflorescences of A. ramosus bear numerous short-lived flowers arranged on tall flowering stalks, while the basal long-tapered leaves are long-lived. The most striking feature of the short-lived flowers of A. ramosus is the surface structure of the coloured midrib and the white bilateral sections of tepals, revealing different functionality between the two sections of tepals and the two sides of the corollas. Structural features of adaxial and abaxial epidermal cells may function predominantly for water repellence of floral tissues expanded during the humid period of the year. The leaves are more water repellent than the tepals and display declining water retention on their surfaces. It appears that micro- and nano-scale patterns observed on leaf and tepal surfaces of A. ramosus are linked to hydrophobic properties, which are important adaptive traits contributing to the seasonal performance of A. ramosus in the field, particularly in regard to water adhesion.

Functional traits of floral and leaf surfaces of the early spring flowering Asphodelus ramosus in the Mediterranean region

In this study functional micromorphological traits and water repellent attributes of floral and leaf surfaces of Asphodelus ramosus are presented. The branched inflorescences of A. ramosus bear numerous short-lived flowers arranged on tall flowering stalks, while the basal long-tapered leaves are long-lived. The most striking feature of the short-lived flowers of A. ramosus is the surface structure of the coloured midrib and the white bilateral sections of tepals, revealing different functionality between the two sections of tepals and the two sides of the corollas. Structural features of adaxial and abaxial epidermal cells may function predominantly for water repellence of floral tissues expanded during the humid period of the year. The leaves are more water repellent than the tepals and display declining water retention on their surfaces. It appears that micro- and nano-scale patterns observed on leaf and tepal surfaces of A. ramosus are linked to hydrophobic properties, which are important adaptive traits contributing to the seasonal performance of A. ramosus in the field, particularly in regard to water adhesion.

Multitrophic interactions mediate the effects of climate change on herbivore abundance.

Climate change can influence the abundance of insect herbivores through direct and indirect mechanisms. In this study, we evaluated multitrophic drivers of herbivore abundance for an aphid species (Aphis helianthi) in a subalpine food web consisting of a host plant (Ligusticum porteri), mutualist ants and predatory lygus bugs (Lygus spp.). We used a model-selection approach to determine which climate and host plant cues best predict year-to-year variation in insect phenology and abundance observed over 6years. We complemented this observational study with experiments that determined how elevated temperature interacts with (1) host plant phenology and (2) the ant-aphid mutualism to determine aphid abundance. We found date of snowmelt to be the best predictor of yearly abundance of aphid and lygus bug abundance but the direction of this effect differed. Aphids achieved lower abundances in early snowmelt years likely due to increased abundance of lygus bug predators in these years. Elevating temperature of L. porteri flowering stalks reduced their quality as hosts for aphid populations. However, warming aphid colonies on host plants of similar quality increased population growth rates. Importantly, this effect was apparent even in the absence of ants. While we observed fewer ants tending colonies at elevated temperatures, these colonies also had reduced numbers of lygus bug predators. This suggests that mutualism with ants becomes less significant as temperature increases, which contrasts other ant-hemipteran systems. Our observational and experimental results show the importance of multitrophic species interactions for predicting the effect of climate change on the abundances of herbivores.

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid Production of Jacobaea aquatica under Different Cutting Regimes.

Jacobaea aquatica (Asteraceae) growing in wet grasslands with low management intensity is regarded as a noxious weed with pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), which cause health problems to livestock. The influence of different management practices on the production of PAs and on the proportion of J. aquatica in the fodder was studied. Five cutting regimes were applied during 4 years on permanent plots in lower Austria. The toxicity of the fodder was assessed by recording dry weight and alkaloid content of J. aquatica and total aboveground biomass. Different cutting regimes had significant effects on the PA content of J. aquatica and on its proportion in the fodder. The content of J. aquatica was lowest in fodder of June and October cuts and highest in second cuts in July and August. Total alkaloid contents exceeding 100 mg/kg were found in fodder harvested in July and August. After cutting, the toxic plants regenerated quickly and produced new flowering stalks within 4-5 weeks. Six macrocylic PAs were evaluated, with Z-erucifoline as the most abundant compound. The alkaloid levels were highest in plants cut during summer when flowering plants were present. Consequently, this fodder should not be fed to livestock over a long period of time.

The role of ecological availability and host plant characteristics in determining host use by the bogus yucca moth Prodoxus decipiens

1. Specialisation in host plant use is strongly correlated with speciation in many plant‐feeding insects. Specialised taxa, however, could be restricted in host range due to limits in ecological availability of host plant species rather than trade‐offs in using alternate host species.2. Moths in the genus Prodoxus are extreme specialists on Yucca and speciation is closely tied to host plant shifts. However, many Yucca ranges are allopatric. This study examined whether the bogus yucca moth Prodoxus decipiens is limited in host range because of biogeographic factors or due to differences in the characteristics of host plant species.3. In a common garden, local P. decipiens moths that use Yucca filamentosa were exposed to individuals of five Yucca species, two that are known hosts of P. decipiens in other parts of its range and three that are used by its sister species, Prodoxus quinquepunctellus.4. Local moths were attracted to flowers of all Yucca species and females attempted oviposition in the flowering stalks of all species. However, larvae successfully completed development to diapause in only one of the five host plant species. Larval development on non‐natal Yucca species was significantly reduced compared with the local host.5. The results suggest that differences in host plant characteristics among Yucca species would result in strong natural selection during a host shift. Thus, specialisation in host plant use is probably due to trade‐offs involved with using novel host plant species as well as ecological availability.

Host-associated divergence and incipient speciation in the yucca moth Prodoxus coloradensis (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae) on three species of host plants

A wide range of evolutionary processes have been implicated in the diversification of yuccas and yucca moths, which exhibit ecological relationships that extend from obligate plant-pollinator mutualisms to commensalist herbivory. Prodoxus coloradensis (Lepidoptera: Prodoxidae) is a yucca moth, which feeds on the flowering stalks of three Yucca species as larvae, but does not provide pollination service. To test for evidence of host-associated speciation, we examined the genetic structure of P. coloradensis using mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) and nuclear (elongation factor 1 alpha) DNA sequence data. Multilocus coalescent simulations indicate that moths on different host plant species are characterized by recent divergence and low levels of effective migration, with large effective population sizes and considerable retention of shared ancestral polymorphism. Although geographical distance explains a proportion of the mitochondrial and nuclear DNA variation among moths on different species of Yucca, the effect of host specificity on genetic distance remains significant after accounting for spatial isolation. The results of this study indicate that differentiation within P. coloradensis is consistent with the evolution of incipient species affiliated with different host plants, potentially influenced by sex-biased dispersal and female philopatry.

Patterns of post-fire flowering and fruiting in Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum (DC.) Kunth in southern California chaparral

For many geophytes living in Mediterranean ecosystems, the passage of fire can produce bursts of flowering, seed production, vegetative growth, and seedling recruitment. In the present study, we investigated patterns of flowering and fruit production of the chaparral geophyte Chlorogalum pomeridianum (common soap plant) at two sites: one burned in a prescribed fire and one in nearby unburned chaparral. Both sites burned in a wildfire 2 years later, and we continued monitoring marked plants for an additional 6 years, enabling us to observe the effects of recent reburning on reproduction and growth. We found that flowering was stimulated by fire but was not strictly fire-dependent. There was a positive relationship between bulb size and leaf area, as well as between these two characteristics and flower and fruit production. Flower stalk initiation occurred when plants reached a minimum leaf area of ~1000 cm2, indicating that a minimum bulb size must be reached before reproductive effort is initiated. Direct herbivory of flowering stalks reduced fruiting and leaf herbivory indirectly prevented the initiation of flowering stalks. In the first several years after fire, flower and fruit production could be explained by resource matching but in subsequent years, resource matching was replaced by resource switching.

First Report of Orobanche crenata on Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) in Andalusia, Southern Spain.

Crenata broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.), an obligate chlorophyll-lacking root parasite, is the major constraint for growing legume crops in infested soils in southern Spain. Peas (Pisum sativum L), faba beans (Vicia faba L.), and narbon bean (Vicia narbonensis L.) are seriously affected (1,2,4). However, no information is available regarding its ability to attack sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.), which is an important fodder legume grown in rain-fed conditions, yielding as much as 10,000 kg/ha of dry matter. In 2008, we found broomrape shoots infecting 4 to 5% of sulla plants in a trial field (two land races, P-26 and P-3, in a 500-m2 area) in Cordoba (Andalusia, southern Spain). The shoots developed numerous fertile flowering stalks throughout the field. The previous crop, narbon bean, was heavily infected during 2007 by O. crenata. Infection of sulla plants was confirmed by digging up the plant to verify the attachment of the broomrape plant to the sulla roots. The level of infection was low with only one to two emerged broomrape shoots per sulla plant infested. Morphology was typical of O. crenata. The calyx of the flowers was 13 to 18 mm long with free, bidentate segments. The white corolla of the flowers was 18 to 28 mm long and glandular pubescent. The lips were divergent, large, not ciliate, and filaments inserted 2 to 3 mm above the base of the corolla are hairy at base with glandular hair at the apex. The anthers were brown (3). Specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of the University of Córdoba (identification number COA 45358). To our knowledge, this first report of O. crenata parasitizing sulla shows that control methods for O. crenata will be needed if sulla is to be used as an alternative legume fodder in the infested soils of southern Spain.

First Report of Orobanche crenata Parasitism on Ornamental Anemone (Anemone coronaria) in Israel.

Broomrapes (Orobanche spp.) are obligatory parasitic weeds that infect roots of vegetables and field crops worldwide, resulting in severe damage. Orobanche crenata Forsk is common in agricultural fields in the Mediterranean Basin, Southern Europe, and the Middle East and is known as an important scourge of grain and forage legumes and of some Apiaceous crops such as carrot (Daucus carota L.) and celery (Apium graveolens L.) (3,4). To our knowledge, in this note, we report for the first time on Anemone coronaria L. (Ranunculaceae) as a new host for O. crenata and this is also the first report of Orobanche parasitism on a geophytic crop. Anemone (Anemone coronaria L.) is a high-value ornamental crop, which is commercially grown for cut flowers. Four anemone cultivars (Meron Red, Galil White, Jerusalem Blue, and Jerusalem Pink) were planted in September 2006 in a 2-ha field in Israel. The previous crop, broad bean (Vicia faba L.), was heavily infected during 2005 by O. crenata. In February 2007, O. crenata parasitized the anemone plants and developed numerous fertile flowering stalks throughout the field. The four anemone cultivars were equally infected by the parasite. Additional flowering stalks were still emerging on anemone plants during July 2007. Washing the root system clearly verified direct connection between the parasite and anemone roots. The parasite species was identified morphologically after Flora Europea (1) and Flora Palaestina (2). In addition, the stem had the fragrance typical of O. crenata. Neither symptoms nor visible qualitative or quantitative damage could be detected on infected anemone plants compared with noninfected plants. However, anemone appears to be an alternate host on which O. crenata can produce additional seed for the parasite seed bank.

Limiting the success of stem borers (Prodoxus quinquepunctellus) in yuccas: indirect effects of ants, aphids, and fruit position

Abstract 1. Although the moth–yucca mutualism is often studied as a pairwise interaction, yucca plants are also the sole host for a variety of other visitors. One of these additional visitors is a stem‐boring moth, Prodoxus quinquepunctellus.2. In this study, it is shown how the reproductive success of Prodoxus indirectly depends on the interactions between yuccas and their pollinators (Tegeticula, Prodoxidae) as well as the indirect effects of ants and aphids.3. Aggressive wood ants foraging on yuccas will attack adult Prodoxus moths while attempting to oviposit. This reduces the number of eggs laid in yucca stalks, leading to fewer larvae feeding in the stalks.4. Once in the stalk, the survival of Prodoxus eggs/larvae depends upon the rate at which the flowering stalks dry out during fruit maturation. Portions of the stalk above the highest fruit dry out quickly and survivorship approaches zero in these dry sections, while larvae in green sections of the flowering stalk have significantly higher survival rates. The presence of aphids feeding on the stalk slows down the rate of stalk drying and could lead to increased survival of Prodoxus larvae.5. Overall, ants have strong indirect effects on P. quinquepunctellus by controlling how many eggs are laid in the stalk and by influencing the distribution of aphids. However, it is primarily the presence and position of the fruit that can affect larval survivorship, and fruit position is a function of pollinator visits and resource limitation. These complex interactions illustrate the importance of studying the yucca–moth mutualism in a community context.

Life‐history consequences of vegetative damage in scarlet gilia, a monocarpic plant

Although herbivory can occur throughout a plant's life, little is known about relative fitness impacts of damage at different life stages. In the long‐lived monocarpic wildflower, Ipomopsis aggregata (scarlet gilia), for example, the response to browsing by ungulates in the year of flowering has been studied extensively, whereas damage and its fitness consequences during the preceding years of vegetative growth remain largely unexplored. As part of a long‐term demographic study of I. aggregata, we mapped 5324 individual seedlings belonging to two annual cohorts in three natural populations, and followed these plants throughout their lives. Of the 30.4% of plants that survived past seedling stage, 15.3% suffered observable damage to the apical meristem of their single rosette of leaves, usually resulting in multiple rosettes in vegetative plants and multiple flowering stalks in plants that survived to flower. Vegetative damage reduced survival to flowering by ca 30%, and slowed growth, leading to an average delay in flowering of over one yr relative to undamaged plants. On average, damaged plants were 136% larger than undamaged members of their cohort in the summer before flowering, but produced only 86% as many flowers, and achieved 78% the overall fitness compared to undamaged plants when damage effects were integrated across their life history. Previously published studies from the same sites suggested that plants suffering browsing during only the year of flowering, achieved 47% of the fitness of unbrowsed plants. Our results indicate that plants are better able to recover from vegetative damage than from loss of their initial reproductive effort, perhaps because of the longer time over which recovery is possible in the former case. These results underscore the importance of studying the consequences of damage across the entire life history.