ISSN:
1365-2494
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Five pasture species, very different in their morphological organization (four dicotyledons: Plantago lanceolata, Sanguisorba minor, Ranunculus repens, Taraxacum officinalis and one grass: Dactylis glomerata), were grown as spaced plants in pots, thus excluding competition for light, to study the proportion of senescent leaves. In May, after a 6 month period, the proportion of partially or totally senescent leaves varied from 20% to 80%. Four plant characteristics were important: leaf appearance and senescence rates, leaf lifespan and date and type of flowering. Plantago lanceolata had the longest lived foliage and the smallest proportion of senescent leaves. In contrast, Taraxacum officinalis had the most rapid leaf turnover and Dactylis glomerata had the slowest rate of leaf appearance. Sanguisorba minor and Ranunculus repens were almost identical, with intermediate leaf characteristics in all respects. These results illustrate the fact that the four characteristics studied, and not simply the species' phenology, must be taken into account in order to compare growth between species. The likelihood of these characteristics remaining the same when species are in dense sward is considered.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.1995.tb02339.x
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