TY - JOUR
T1 - Genets of dwarf bamboo do not die after one flowering event
T2 - Evidence from genetic structure and flowering pattern
AU - Miyazaki, Yuko
AU - Ohnishi, Naoki
AU - Takafumi, Hino
AU - Hiura, Tsutom
PY - 2009/8
Y1 - 2009/8
N2 - Dwarf bamboos in the genus Sasa are believed to be long-lived, synchronously flowering, and monocarpic plants. However, the monocarpy of dwarf bamboo has not been confirmed, because whether all ramets within one genet flower at the same time cannot be determined without differentiating the genetic structure among ramets. This study aims to evaluate the reproductive traits of Sasa pubiculmis by verifying the monocarpy and physiological integration between flowering ramets and non-flowering ramets during a 4-year flowering period. One genotypically identified genet, which covered an area of approximately 3 ha, had both flowering and non-flowering patches of ramets during the 4-year flowering period (2004-2007). A fraction of the flowering genet remained non-flowering during the 4 years of observation, and did not die after mass flowering. Flowering ramets were physically connected to non-flowering ramets via rhizomes, and assimilated 13C was allocated from non-flowering ramets to flowering ramets. Consequently, we clarified that this dwarf bamboo potentially has polycarpic reproductive traits rather than monocarpic, and a genet can keep rhizomes and non-flowering patches alive to sustain the organism after mass flowering.
AB - Dwarf bamboos in the genus Sasa are believed to be long-lived, synchronously flowering, and monocarpic plants. However, the monocarpy of dwarf bamboo has not been confirmed, because whether all ramets within one genet flower at the same time cannot be determined without differentiating the genetic structure among ramets. This study aims to evaluate the reproductive traits of Sasa pubiculmis by verifying the monocarpy and physiological integration between flowering ramets and non-flowering ramets during a 4-year flowering period. One genotypically identified genet, which covered an area of approximately 3 ha, had both flowering and non-flowering patches of ramets during the 4-year flowering period (2004-2007). A fraction of the flowering genet remained non-flowering during the 4 years of observation, and did not die after mass flowering. Flowering ramets were physically connected to non-flowering ramets via rhizomes, and assimilated 13C was allocated from non-flowering ramets to flowering ramets. Consequently, we clarified that this dwarf bamboo potentially has polycarpic reproductive traits rather than monocarpic, and a genet can keep rhizomes and non-flowering patches alive to sustain the organism after mass flowering.
KW - AFLP
KW - Clonal plant
KW - Long-lived species
KW - Mass flowering
KW - Monocarpy
KW - Reproductive traits
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70350618927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=70350618927&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10265-009-0241-9
DO - 10.1007/s10265-009-0241-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 19462156
AN - SCOPUS:70350618927
VL - 122
SP - 523
EP - 528
JO - Journal of Plant Research
JF - Journal of Plant Research
SN - 0918-9440
IS - 5
ER -