Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-1-2014

Publication Title

South African Journal of Botany

Volume

92

First Page

47

Last Page

52

DOI

10.1016/j.sajb.2014.01.015

Disciplines

Biology

Abstract

Alyssum inflatum is a native of serpentine soils and is able to hyperaccumulate nickel (Ni), but the importance of Ni to reproduction in the species is unknown. We investigated if reproductive fitness is enhanced by Ni in the growth medium, and included a treatment involving a relatively high level of Mg to provide a comparison with elevated levels of another metal. Seedlings were grown in a modified Hoagland solution culture in an inertmediumof Perlite andwere treatedwith Ni (100 μM), a high concentration ofMg (5mM), or under control conditions (solution culture without Ni or the addition of high Mg) for 14 months.We documented survival, as well as the proportion of individuals that flowered.We also quantified flower production as an indicator of plant fitness. Survival was not affected by treatment (87–90% for all treatments), but significantly more Ni-treated plants (63%) flowered compared with Mg-treated (19%) or control plants (12%). In addition, inflorescences per plant, inflorescence length, and number of open flowers per inflorescence were all significantly greater for Nitreated plants relative to plants fromthe other treatments. Although high levels of Ni are not essential for growth and reproduction of the species, we suggest that Ni stimulates flowering in A. inflatum and may result in greater fitness for the species on serpentine soils.

Comments

Reprinted from South African Journal of Botany, Vol 92 by Nishanta Rajakaruna, A preliminary study of the role of nickel in enhancing flowering of the nickel hyperaccumulating plant Alyssum inflatum Nyár. (Brassicaceae), 47-52, Copyright 2014, with permission from Elsevier. The published version of the article can be found online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2014.01.015

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