title: Fragment propagation and colonization ability enhanced and varied at node level after escaping from apical dominance in submerged macrophytes.
abstract: Aquatic plants develop strong fragment propagation and colonization ability to endure the natural disturbances. However, detailed research of ability to endure the natural disturbances has been lacking to date. Therefore, reproduction (shoot) and colonization (root) of shoot fragments of Potamogeton crispus L. with or without apices were investigated for the effect of apical dominance, and the growth of decapitated shoot fragments at three lengths (2, 4, 6 cm) was compared. Meanwhile, fragment propagation at levels of bud position was studied for bud position effect after escaping from apical dominance. The results showed significant increases occurred in the outgrowth of lateral branches on fragments decapitated compared with the fragments with apices, implying that apical dominance exists. Different lengths of fragments showed little difference in biomass allocations, but significant differences were noted in their propagation. Meanwhile, the effect of bud position was verified, due to the significant difference of average reproduction per node among the three length groups. Thus, the present study has made progress in the current understanding of aquatic plant dispersion among natural systems and contributes to improve methods of in vitro propagation for re-implantation purposes.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Uses, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
authors.forename: Jinhui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shuqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Changfang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Baohua
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Zhiyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Fude
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000383:Agriculture; D018533:Biomass; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D031821:Potamogetonaceae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water