Recruitment potential from asexual and sexual reproduction in 'Polymeria longifolia'

Abstract

Sexual and asexual reproduction in the perennial Australian weed 'Polymeria longifolia' (polymeria take-all), was assessed using glasshouse and field studies. These studies aimed at elucidating the contribution that each reproductive mechanism makes to the success of the species as a weed in cotton in Australia. Asexual reproduction, including vegetative fragment movement because of cultivation and regeneration from in situ rhizome material, was the predominant means of dispersal and recruitment of the species. Sexual reproduction had a relatively minor but significant role in the reproductive biology of 'P. longifolia'. Seedling establishment was <5% from buried seed in both the glasshouse and field. In the field, seedlings comprised <1% of the total number of new shoots recruited at the start of two consecutive seasons, with <3% of these reaching reproductive maturity. Vegetative fragments were more likely to survive and lead to subsequent shoot production when they were large and intact. Intensive cultivation, where plants of 'P. longifolia' are cut into small fragments, may reduce the survival of fragments moved by cultivation and reduce recruitment from existing populations. Long-term management strategies should focus on reducing the large vegetative flushes of this weed, as well as controlling the small number of seedlings recruited.