Download PDF
Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2006; 8(1): 155-166
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-872888
Research Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Timing of Reproductive and Vegetative Development in Saxifraga oppositifolia in an Alpine and a Subnival Climate

I. Larl1 , J. Wagner1
  • 1Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Further Information

Publication History

Received: May 24, 2005

Accepted: August 30, 2005

Publication Date:
22 December 2005 (online)

   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Morphogenesis of floral structures, dynamics of reproductive development from floral initiation until fruit maturation, and leaf turnover in vegetative short-stem shoots of Saxifraga oppositifolia were studied in three consecutive years at an alpine site (2300 m) and at an early- and late-thawing subnival site (2650 m) in the Austrian Alps. Marked differences in the timing and progression of reproductive and vegetative development occurred: individuals of the alpine population required a four-month growing season to complete reproductive development and initiate new flower buds, whereas later thawing individuals from the subnival sites attained the same structural and functional state within only two and a half months. Reproductive and vegetative development were not strictly correlated because timing of flowering, seed development, and shoot growth depended mainly on the date of snowmelt, whereas the initiation of flower primordia was evidently controlled by photoperiod. Floral induction occurred during June and July, from which a critical day length for primary floral induction of about 15 h could be inferred. Preformed flower buds overwinter in a pre-meiotic state and meiosis starts immediately after snowmelt in spring. Vegetative short-stem shoots performed a full leaf turnover within a growing season: 16 (± 0.8 SE) new leaves per shoot developed in alpine and early-thawing subnival individuals and 12 (± 1.2 SE) leaves in late-thawing subnival individuals. New leaf primordia emerged continuously from snowmelt until late autumn, even when plants were temporarily covered with snow. Differences in the developmental dynamics between the alpine and subnival population were independent of site temperatures, and are probably the result of ecotypic adaptation to differences in growing season length.

Key words

Saxifraga oppositifolia - arctic-alpine plant species - floral development - leaf turnover - flowering phenology - morphogenesis - photoperiod - flower preformation - sexual reproduction.

References

  • 1 Aydelotte A. R., Diggle P. K.. Analysis of developmental preformation in the alpine herb Caltha leptosepala (Ranunculaceae).  American Journal of Botany. (1997);  84 1646-1657
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Bell K. L., Bliss L. C.. Plant reproduction in a high arctic environment.  Arctic and Alpine Research. (1980);  12 1-10
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Billings W. D.. Arctic and alpine vegetation: plant adaptations to cold summer climates. Ives, J. D. and Barry, R. G., eds. Arctic and Alpine Environments. London; Methuen (1974): 403-443
    Google Scholar
  • 4 Billings W. D.. Constraints to plant growth, reproduction, and establishment in arctic environments.  Arctic and Alpine Research. (1987);  19 357-365
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Billings W. D., Mooney H. A.. The ecology of arctic and alpine plants.  Biological Reviews. (1968);  43 481-529
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Bliss L. C.. Arctic and alpine plant life cycles.  Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. (1971);  2 405-438
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Bliss L. C., Gold W. G.. Vascular plant reproduction, establishment, and growth and the effects of cryptogamic crusts within a polar desert ecosystem, Devon Island, N.W.T., Canada.  Canadian Journal of Botany. (1999);  77 623-636
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Brysting A. K., Gabrielsen T. M., Sørlibråten O., Ytrehorn O., Brochmann C.. The purple saxifrage, Saxifraga oppositifolia, in Svalbard: two taxa or one?.  Polar Research. (1996);  15 93-105
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Cannell M. G. R., Smith R. I.. Thermal time, chill days and prediction of budburst in Picea sitchensis.  Journal of Applied Ecology. (1983);  20 951-963
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Cleve A.. Zum Pflanzenleben in nordschwedischen Hochgebirgen. Bihang till Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademien Handlingar, Vol. 26/III. Stockholm; Norstedt (1901): 1-105
    Google Scholar
  • 11 Crawford R. M. M.. Long-term plant survival at high latitudes.  Botanical Journal of Scotland. (2004);  56 1-23
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Crawford R. M. M., Chapman H. M., Abbott R. J., Balfour J.. Potential impact of climatic warming on Arctic vegetation.  Flora. (1993);  188 367-381
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Crawford R. M. M., Chapman H. M., Smith L. C.. Adaptation to variation in growing season length in arctic populations of Saxifraga oppositifolia L.  Botanical Journal of Scotland. (1995);  41 177-192
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Crawford R. M. M., Smith L. C.. Responses of some high arctic shore plants to variable lengths of growing season.  Opera Botanica. (1997);  132 201-214
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Diemer M., Körner C., Prock S.. Leaf life spans in wild perennial herbaceous plants: a survey and attempts at a functional interpretation.  Oecologia. (1992);  89 10-16
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Diggle P. K.. Extreme preformation in alpine Polygonum viviparum: an architectural and developmental analysis.  American Journal of Botany. (1997);  84 154-169
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Forbis T. A., Diggle P. K.. Subnivean embryo development in the alpine herb Caltha leptosepala (Ranunculaceae).  Canadian Journal of Botany. (2001);  79 635-642
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Gugerli F.. Sexual reproduction in Saxifraga oppositifolia L. and Saxifraga biflora All. (Saxifragaceae) in the Alps.  International Journal of Plant Sciences. (1997 a);  158 274-281
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Gugerli F.. Hybridization of Saxifraga oppositifolia and S. biflora (Saxifragaceae) in a mixed alpine population.  Plant Systematics and Evolution. (1997 b);  207 255-272
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Gugerli F.. Effect of elevation on sexual reproduction in alpine populations of Saxifraga oppositifolia (Saxifragaceae).  Oecologia. (1998);  114 60-66
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Heide O. M., Pedersen K., Dahl E.. Environmental control of flowering and morphology in the high-arctic Cerastium regelii, and the taxonomic status of C. jenisejense.  Nordic Journal of Botany. (1990);  10 141-147
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Heide O. M.. Flowering strategies of the high-arctic and high-alpine snow bed grass species Phippsia algida.  Physiologia Plantarum. (1992);  85 606-610
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Herr J. M.. A new clearing-squash technique for the study of ovule development in Angiosperms.  American Journal of Botany. (1971);  58 785-790
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Hörandl E., Gutermann W.. Populationsstudien an Sippen von Saxifraga sect. Porphyrion (Saxifragaceae) in den Alpen: I. Hybriden von S. biflora und S. oppositifolia.  Phyton (Horn). (1994);  34 143-167
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Kainmüller C.. Temperaturresistenz von Hochgebirgspflanzen.  Anzeiger der mathemathisch-naturwissenschaftlichen Klasse der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. (1975);  67-75
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Kaplan K.. Saxifragaceae. Weber, H. E., ed. Gustav Hegi - Illustrierte Flora von Mitteleuropa, Vol. 4/2A. Berlin; Blackwell (1995): 130-229
    Google Scholar
  • 27 Keller F., Körner C.. The role of photoperiodism in alpine plant development.  Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. (2003);  35 361-368
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Kevan P. G.. Insect pollination of high arctic flowers.  Journal of Ecology. (1972);  60 831-847
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Kimball S. L., Salisbury F. B.. Plant development under snow.  Botanical Gazette. (1974);  135 147-149
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Körner C.. Alpine Plant Life, 2nd ed. Berlin, Heidelberg, New York; Springer (2003): 1-349
    Google Scholar
  • 31 Kudo G.. Effects of snow-free period on the phenology of alpine plants inhabiting snow patches.  Arctic and Alpine Research. (1991);  23 436-443
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Kume A., Nakatsubo T., Bekku Y., Masuzawa T.. Ecological significance of different growth forms of purple saxifrage, Saxifraga oppositifolia L., in the High Arctic, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard.  Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. (1999);  31 27-33
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 Lachaud S.. Participation of auxin and abscisic acid in the regulation of seasonal variations in cambial activity and xylogenesis.  Trees. (1989);  3 125-137
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Ladinig U., Wagner J.. Sexual reproduction of the high mountain plant Saxifraga moschata Wulfen at varying lengths of the growing season.  Flora. (2005);  200 in press
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Lamp B. M., Connell J. H., Duncan R. A., Viveros M., Polito V. S.. Almond flower development: floral initiation and organogenesis.  Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. (2001);  126 689-696
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Larcher W.. Klimastreß im Gebirge - Adaptationstraining und Selektionsfilter für Pflanzen.  Rheinisch-Westfälische Akademie der Wissenschaften. (1980);  291 49-88
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Mark A. F.. Floral initiation and development in New Zealand alpine plants.  New Zealand Journal of Botany. (1970);  8 67-75
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Molau U.. Relationships between flowering phenology and life history strategies in tundra plants.  Arctic and Alpine Research. (1993);  25 391-402
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 39 Nakhutsrishvili G.. The vegetation of Georgia (Caucasus).  Braun Blanquetia. (1999);  15 5-74
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 40 Prock S., Körner C.. A cross-continental comparison of phenology, leaf dynamics and dry matter allocation in arctic and temperate zone herbaceous plants from contrasting altitudes.  Ecological Bulletins. (1996);  45 93-103
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 41 Raghavan V.. Developmental Biology of Flowering Plants. New York, Berlin, Heidelberg; Springer (2000): 1-354
    Google Scholar
  • 42 Sakai A., Larcher W.. Frost Survival of Plants. Responses and Adaptation to Freezing Stress. Ecological Studies 62. Berlin; Springer (1987): pp1-321
    Google Scholar
  • 43 Sørensen T.. Temperature relations and phenology of the northeast Greenland flowering plants.  Meddelelser om Grønland. (1941);  125 1-307
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 44 Stenström M., Molau U.. Reproductive ecology of Saxifraga oppositifolia: phenology, mating system, and reproductive success.  Arctic and Alpine Research. (1992);  24 337-343
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 45 Stenström M., Gugerli F., Henry G. H. R.. Response of Saxifraga oppositifolia L. to simulated climate change at three contrasting latitudes.  Global Change Biology. (1997);  3 44-54
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 46 Svoboda J.. Ecology and primary production of raised beach communities, Truelove Lowland. Bliss, L. C., ed. Truelove Lowland, Devon Island, Canada: A High Arctic Ecosystem. Edmonton; University Alberta Press (1977): 185-216
    Google Scholar
  • 47 Teeri J. A.. Polar desert adaptations of a high Arctic plant species.  Science. (1973);  179 496-497
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 48 Tikhmenev E. A.. Seasonal rhythm of flowering of several species of arctic saxifrages [In Russian].  Pollination Ecology. (1980);  5 22-32
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 49 Tikhmenev E. A.. Pollination and self-pollinating potential of entomophilic plants in arctic and mountain tundras of the northeastern USSR.  Soviet Journal of Ecology. (1984);  15 166-171
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 50 Wagner J., Tengg G.. Phänoembryologie der Hochgebirgspflanzen Saxifraga oppositifolia und Cerastium uniflorum.  Flora. (1993);  188 203-212
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 51 Wagner J., Reichegger B.. Phenology and seed development of the alpine sedges Carex curvula and Carex firma in response to contrasting topoclimates.  Arctic and Alpine Research. (1997);  29 291-299
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 52 Zachhuber K.. Vegetationsablauf, Speicherverhalten und Kaloriengehalt von Primula- und Saxifraga-Arten aus verschiedenen Höhenstufen. Doctoral thesis, University of Innsbruck. (1975)
    Google Scholar

J. Wagner

Institute of Botany
University of Innsbruck

Sternwartestraße 15

6020 Innsbruck

Austria

Email: johanna.wagner@uibk.ac.at

Editor: S. Renner