Plantago Virginica Research Articles

Multiple introductions and genetic admixture facilitate the successful invasion of Plantago virginica into China

Multiple introductions and genetic admixture facilitate the successful invasion of Plantago virginica into China

An invading annual plant benefits less from soil biota and has reduced competitive power with a resident grass

Abstract Aims Interactions between plants and their soil biota, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in particular, may play a vital role in the establishment and the range expansion of exotic plants in new environments. However, whether there are post-introduction shifts in dependence on AMF and how dependency interacts with competition remains poorly understood. Methods We conducted a common garden greenhouse experiment to examine how native (USA) and invasive (China) populations of the plant species Plantago virginica, respond to soil biota, and whether these responses change in the presence of a competitor. Important Findings We found that while native populations consistently had a higher AMF colonization rate and benefited from AMF in both biomass and seed production, invasive populations received less benefit from AMF, and even showed reduced biomass with AMF in the presence of a competitor. This low mycorrhizal dependency in invasive populations correlated with greater suppression by an indigenous competitor for the invader. The different responses of the invasive and native populations to AMF suggest that alteration of mycorrhizal dependency has occurred during the invasion of P. virginica into China. Our findings suggest that this reduced dependency incurs a cost during interspecific competition.

The impacts of warming and nitrogen addition on competitive ability of native and invasive populations of Plantago virginica

Abstract Aims Global change factors (e.g. warming and nitrogen deposition) may influence biological invasions, but how these factors may influence the performance of invasive species and further mediate the interactions with native competitors remain still unknown. Methods Here, we conducted a 5-month greenhouse experiment to examine the effects of warming (using open-top chambers, +0.62°C) and N addition (adding NH4NO3 at a rate of 4.2 g m−2) on the performance of the native and invasive populations of an invasive species Plantago virginica in competition with a native Plantago asiatica. Important Findings Under warming treatment and its interaction with nitrogen addition treatment (W × N), invasive and native populations of P. virginica had different biomass allocation strategies to compete with native competitor P. asiatica. Native population of P. virginica (PV-Na) increased more below-ground biomass, whereas those from the invasive population (PV-In) increased more above-ground biomass. We also found that invasive species P. virginica had stronger responses to warming and N addition than the native species P. asiatica. The competitive ability of the invasive plants was significantly reduced by warming which indicated that the invasive plant were much stronger sensitivity to elevated temperature than native plant. Similarly, N addition and W × N reduced the competitive response of PV-In in below-ground biomass, but increased the competitive response of PV-Na in above-ground and total biomass when they grew with the P. asiatica. The results show that P. virginica have occurred differential biomass allocation strategies during its invasions and invasive population exhibit flexible competition ability to adapt to environmental changes (especially warming). These findings may potentially help to predict plant invasions and make management strategies in a world with changing climate.

Plantago tomentosa (Plantaginaceae), not P. virginica naturalised in South Africa: First records of this species outside South America

Evidence is presented that the records of Plantago virginica from South Africa and of P. australis from Réunion Island (France) are in fact misidentified specimens of P. tomentosa. These are the first records of P. tomentosa outside South America. The species is native to Argentina, Bolivia, southern Brazil, southern Paraguay, southern Peru and Uruguay. My findings suggest that P. virginica, native to North America, and P. australis, native to the Americas, do not occur in Africa. Furthermore, a lectotype is designated for the name P. affinis, a synonym of P. tomentosa.

Seed germination of exotic and native winter annuals differentially responds to temperature and moisture, especially with climate change scenarios

AbstractSeeds of winter annuals require a summer after‐ripening period for dormancy loss and low autumn temperatures for germination. With current and future changes in moisture and temperature, we tested the effects of warming along a relative humidity (RH) gradient on dormancy loss and effects of decreased diurnal temperature range (DTR) on germination. We further reasoned that the effects of changes in these variables would be disproportionate between the exotic and native winter annuals. Seeds of exotic species (Buglossoides arvensis, Lamium purpureum and Ranunculus parviflorus) and co‐occurring native species (Galium aparine, Paysonia stonensis and Plantago virginica) were collected in middle Tennessee. After‐ripening occurred over a 15–100% RH gradient at 25 and 30°C and germination was tested at 20/10 and 20/15°C. Niche breadth was calculated using Levins' B. Fresh Ranunculus seeds had high germination and those of other species did not. Germination for these species increased with after‐ripening, mostly across the RH gradient irrespective of temperature. A decrease in DTR showed mixed results – the extreme being Ranunculus with no germination at 20/15°C. Most exotic species had wider germination niche breadths than native species. With climate change, we suggest that a decrease in DTR may have a larger effect on germination than increasing moisture or warming on dormancy break. Moreover, there is not a clear‐cut winner with climate change when we compare exotic versus native species because the responses of our six species were species specific.

The role of phenotypic plasticity and rapid adaptation in determining invasion success of Plantago virginica

Nitrogen (N) enrichment may facilitate plant invasion because exotic plant species usually benefit more from high N availability and possess competitive advantages over indigenous species. Two non-exclusive mechanisms, phenotypic plasticity and rapid adaptation, have often been used to explain the colonization and range expansion of invasive plants in novel habitats, but whether they are still applicable under altered environmental conditions such as N addition remains unclear. Here, we focused on a weedy plant, Plantago virginica, which is native to North America that invaded China. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to compare the differences in phenotypic traits (e.g., biomass, leaf traits and reproductive output) and plasticity between multiple native and invasive populations subjected to high and low nutrient availability. We found that the invasive populations differentiated from native ones for a suite of traits, suggesting that rapid adaptation may have occurred in the invasive species. In particular, plants of invasive populations were larger and produced significantly more seeds per inflorescence and individual than their native counterparts. The traits measured in both invasive and native populations exhibited a large degree of plasticity in response to altered N supply, indicating a “master-of some” superiority of P. virginica. Meanwhile, the leaf area and belowground biomass of invasive populations at vegetative stage had a higher degree of plasticity than those of the native populations. Our results suggest that both phenotypic plasticity and rapid adaptation may jointly explain the advantages of invasive plants in N-rich environments, thereby increasing the risk of biological invasions under N deposition.

Differential germination strategies of native and introduced populations of the invasive species Plantago virginica

Germination strategies are critically important for the survival, establishment and spread of plant species. Although many plant traits related to invasiveness have been broadly studied, the earliest part of the life cycle, germination, has received relatively little attention. Here, we compared the germination patterns between native (North America) and introduced (China) populations of Plantagovirginica for four consecutive years to examine whether there has been adaptive differentiation in germination traits and how these traits are related to local climatic conditions. We found that the introduced populations of P.virginica had significantly higher germination percentages and faster and shorter durations of germination than native populations. Critically, the native populations had a significantly larger proportion of seeds that stayed dormant in all four years, with only 60% of seeds germinating in year 1 (compared to >95% in introduced populations). These results demonstrate striking differences in germination strategies between native and introduced populations which may contribute to their successful invasion. Moreover, the germination strategy of P.virginica in their native range exhibited clear geographical variation across populations, with trends towards higher germination percentages at higher latitudes and lower annual mean temperatures and annual precipitation. In the introduced range, however, their germination strategies were more conserved, with less variation amongst populations, suggesting that P.virginica may have experienced strong selection for earlier life history characteristics. Our findings highlight the need to examine the role of rapid evolution of germination traits in facilitating plant invasion.

Microsatellite primers in Plantago virginica (Plantaginaceae), an invasive species with both cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers.

Polymorphic microsatellite markers were developed in Plantago virginica, an invasive species in China with both cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers, to investigate its genetic structure and mating patterns. Fourteen novel microsatellite primer sets were designed, and the marker loci they amplified were characterized in 96 individuals from four populations. Eleven of these markers showed polymorphism and the number of alleles per locus ranged from two to six. AMOVA and STRUCTURE indicated that there were distinct patterns of genetic differentiation among the one invasive and three native US populations. These markers provide a useful tool for investigating genetic diversity in P. virginica and studying the mechanisms of invasion success.

Allelopathic Potential of Invasive Plantago virginica on Four Lawn Species.

Plantago virginica L. has invaded many lawn ecosystems in the Eastern part of China. The invasion has incurred an economic cost to remove them. In order to prevent the invasion, it is critical to understand the invasive mechanisms of this species. However, few studies have been conducted on the allelopathic mechanisms of its invasion. In this study, we examined allelopathic effects of P. virginica on germination of seeds and growth of seedlings of four widely used lawn species. We found extensive allelopathic potential of P. virginica on other lawn species, which varied with species and developmental stage. While most effects of the extracts of P. virginica were inhibitory, some variables in some species were promoted by the addition of the extracts. The extracts of P. virginica significantly inhibited seed germination of Agrostis matsumurae. While the overall differences in seed germination rate of Poa annua were significant among treatments, difference between control and any of the treatments was not significant. The height of seedlings of A. matsumurae and Cynodon dactylon was significantly lower under the treatments of adding extracts of P. virginica. In contrast, growth of seedlings of Festuca elata and P. annua did not show significant differences among treatments. The root length of A. matsumurae, C. dactylon and P. annua was suppressed by the extracts of P. virginica whereas root length of F. elata was not affected. Aboveground biomass of A. matsumurae and F. elata was significantly higher than control, except for F. elata at the concentration of 50mg/mL, whereas aboveground biomass of C. dactylon and P. annua was reduced at higher concentrations of the extracts. Except for A. matsumurae, root biomass of the other three lawn species declined under the treatments with the extracts of P. virginica. Our results revealed that P. virginica had allelopathic potential on four lawn species and supported the theory of “novel weapons hypothesis”. Invasion by P. virginica in lawn can be moderated by selecting those species that are not affected or promotionally affected by it.

제주 성읍민속마을의 귀화식물 분포현황 및 관리방안

제주 성읍민속마을의 귀화식물 분포현황 및 관리방안

In vitro rat lymphocyte proliferation induced by Ocinum basilicum, Persea americana, Plantago virginica, and Rosa spp. extracts

Medicinal plants have been used for centuries and have become part of complementary medicine worldwide because of their potential health benefits. Some of their metabolites have been successfully used directly in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases and cancer, or indirectly by stimulating the immune system. In the present study, we investigated the effects of methanol and aqueous extracts of the Mexican plants Ocinum basilicum, Persea americana, Plantago virginica, and Rosa spp. on in vitro rat lymphocyte proliferation. Methanol extracts of O. basilicum, P. americana, P. virginica, and Rosa spp.stimulated up to 80, 16, 69 and 66% lymphoproliferation, respectively, whereas their respective aqueous extracts induced up to 83, 48, 31 and 83% lymphoproliferation, as compared with untreated controls. The effect of O. basilicum aqueous extract at concentrations of 31.25, 62.5, 125 and 250 i­g/ml on lymphoproliferation was significantly different (p < 0.05) than the effects of P.americana and P. virginica at the same concentrations. We also observed that the lymphoproliferative effect of Rosa spp. aqueous extract was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the methanol extract. Methanol and aqueous vehicles did not affect lymphocyte viability nor proliferation activity. The observed immunostimulatory effect may be of benefit in increasing the pool of lymphocytes in immunodeficiency patients. Key words: Ocimum basilicum, Persea americana, Plantago virginica, Rosa spp., immunoregulation, lymphocyte proliferation, phytomitogens, mexican plants

Response of 12 weedy species to elevated CO2 in low‐phosphorus‐availability soil

AbstractWe conducted an experiment on responses of weedy species from an orchard ecosystem to elevated CO2 (700–800 μmol mol−1) under low phosphorus (P) soil in an environment‐controlled growth chamber. Twelve local weedy species, Poa annua L., Lolium perenne L., Avena fatua L., Vicia cracca L., Medicago lupulina L., Kummerowia striata (Thunb.) Schindl., Veronica didyma Ten., Plantago virginica L., Gnaphalium affine D.Don., Echinochloa crusgalli var. mitis (L.) Beauv., Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. and Setaria glauca (L.) P. Beauv., grouped into four functional groups (C3 grass, C3 forb, legume and C4 grass), were used in the experiment. The total plant biomass, P uptake, and mycorrhizal colonization were measured. The results showed that the total biomass of the 12 weedy species tended to increase under elevated CO2. But changes in the total biomass under elevated CO2 significantly differed among functional groups: legumes showed the greatest increase in the total biomass of all functional groups, following the order C3 forbs &gt; C4 grasses &gt; C3 grasses. Elevated CO2 significantly increased mycorrhizal colonization and P uptake of legumes, C3 forbs and C4 grasses but did not change C3 grasses. Positive correlations between mycorrhizal colonization and shoot P concentration, and between total P uptake and total biomass were found under elevated CO2. The results suggested that the interspecific difference in CO2 response at low P availability was caused by the difference in CO2 response in mycorrhizae and P uptake. These differences among species imply that plant interaction in orchard ecosystems may change under future CO2 enrichment.

Experiments on the effects of Soil depth and sunlight transmitted through a leaf on seed germination of the wild plant Plantago virginica L.

Experiments on the effects of Soil depth and sunlight transmitted through a leaf on seed germination of the wild plant <i>Plantago virginica</i> L.

Seasonal changes in the germination responses of buried seeds of three native eastern North American winter annuals

AbstractLong‐term studies of seasonal changes in temperature and light : dark requirements for germination were conducted on seeds of Plantago virginica (87 months), Silene antirrhina (32.5 months) and Triodanis perfoliata (36.5 months), buried under natural temperature regimes in central Kentucky, USA. Seeds of P. virginica exhibited an annual conditional dormancy/non‐dormancy cycle; thus, the species has the potential to behave as a facultative winter annual. Seeds of T. perfoliata and S. antirrhina had an annual dormancy/non‐dormancy cycle, but dormancy induction was not completed until April or May. Thus, depending on the year, 3–21% and 1–97% of the S. antirrhina and T. perfoliata seeds, respectively, germinated in March and these species also have the potential to behave as facultative winter annuals. Data from long‐term buried seeds studies in central Kentucky are now available for 16 native (including the three species reported in this paper) and nine non‐native winter annuals of eastern North America. Buried seeds of non‐natives, as well as those of natives whose geographic range extends beyond eastern North America, tend to have a conditional dormancy/non‐dormancy cycle, while those of natives with a range restricted to eastern North America tend to have a dormancy/non‐dormancy cycle. However, testing of this hypothesis will have to await data for more winter annuals so that a phylogenetically independent analysis can be conducted.

Quantitative survey on exotic weeds in autumn in Nanjing

A survey of species and distribution of exotic weeds was conducted with the square plot method in different habitats in Nanjing. The collected data were analyzed with principal component analysis(PCA). Twenty one exotic weed species belonging to 19 genera and 11 families were recorded in autumn in the region, and of them originated from America. Composite comprised the most species among all families. The results of principal component analysis showed that the most important factors affecting the occurrence and distribution of exotic weed species were the levels of human disturbance and soil humidity. According to these two factors, all samples were divided into four groups. The dominant exotic weed species in each group were regarded according to the importance value of the species. Group I included samples collected from dry land, and its dominant exotic weed species were Amaranthus retroflexus, Veronica persica and Alternanthera philoxeroides . Group Ⅱ included samples located in wastelands and right of ways which were non managed or non irrigated farmland. The dominant exotic weed species mainly belonged to composites, such as Erigeron annuus, Conyza bonariensis and Conyza canadensis . Group Ⅲ included samples located in public parks where the number of exotic weed species was abundant. The dominant species were Ambrosia artemisiifolia,Plantago virginica,Alternanthera philoxeroides,Aster subulatus,Erigeron annuus,Conyza bonariensis , and Conyza canadensis . The last group was mainly composed of samples distributed on the waterside and in paddy fields. The dominant exotic weeds were Alternanthera philoxeroides, Aster subulatus and Medicago hispida . The analysis of the difference of species richness among groups showed that invasion of exotic weeds had a harmful influence on biological diversity. Some suggestions for management of exotic weeds are proposed.

The Experiments on the Effects of Light on Seed Germination of Wild Plant Plantago virginica L.

The Experiments on the Effects of Light on Seed Germination of Wild Plant <i>Plantago virginica</i> L.

Control of Phenotypic Plasticity Via Regulatory Genes

Control of Phenotypic Plasticity Via Regulatory Genes

Mycological Notes for 1930–32

On Plantago virginica. Pilot Knob, Missouri. May 21, 1927. (No. 12725.) This species was originally described from Spegazzini's collec? tions in South America. Dr. Dearness has kindly communicated to me a small portion of a collection reported in the Tracy and Earle list of Mississippi fungi in 1895, on Plantago lanceolata. This is probably the only record of the occurrence of the species in this country.