Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of an organism to adjust morphology and/or physiology in response to environmental variation. Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb found in both coastal sand dune and inland habitats of coastal Georgia. The soil types of these two habitats differ in both soil characteristics and soil chemistry. The purpose of this study was to explore potential phenotypic plasticity in H. bonariensis in response to two different soil types by comparing leaf and petiole morphology and stomata density and length between individuals grown in soil from a sand dune habitat and soil from an inland coastal habitat. Results showed significantly greater leaf area, petiole fresh weight, petiole thickness, and petiole length in individuals grown in inland soil compared to sand dune soil. Furthermore, the density of stomata on bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in inland soil, and the length of stomata on the top and bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in sand dune soil. These results suggest that the differences in soil texture, and subsequent differences in waterholding capacity and nutrient availability, likely led to the observed differences in leaf and petiole morphology, while differences in stomata density and length may represent a phenotypic plastic response in this species to soil type. The ability of H. bonariensis to respond plastically to changes in environmental conditions, such as variations in soil type, likely plays an important role in its ability to successfully thrive in multiple habitats in Georgia.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf area was significantly greater in plants grown in inland soil than in sand dune soil.
- Taxon
- Hydrocotyle bonariensis
Hydrocotyle bonariensise0 - Treatment
- inland soile1
- Outcome
- leaf areae1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Comparator
- sand dune soile1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb”
e1“Results showed significantly greater leaf area, petiole fresh weight, petiole thickness, and petiole length in individuals grown in inland soil compared to sand dune soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Petiole fresh weight, thickness and length were significantly greater in plants grown in inland soil than in sand dune soil.
- Taxon
- Hydrocotyle bonariensisHydrocotyle bonariensise0
- Treatment
- inland soile1
- Outcome
- petiole fresh weight, petiole thickness, and petiole lengthe1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Comparator
- sand dune soile1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb”
e1“Results showed significantly greater leaf area, petiole fresh weight, petiole thickness, and petiole length in individuals grown in inland soil compared to sand dune soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Stomatal density on the bottom leaf surface was significantly greater in plants grown in inland soil.
- Taxon
- Hydrocotyle bonariensisHydrocotyle bonariensise0
- Treatment
- inland soile2
- Outcome
- density of stomata on bottom leaf surfacese2
- Direction
- greatere2
- Comparator
- sand dune soile3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb”
e2“the density of stomata on bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in inland soil”
e3“the length of stomata on the top and bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in sand dune soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Stomatal length on the top and bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in sand dune soil.
- Taxon
- Hydrocotyle bonariensisHydrocotyle bonariensise0
- Treatment
- sand dune soile3
- Outcome
- length of stomata on the top and bottom leaf surfacese3
- Direction
- greatere3
- Comparator
- inland soile2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb”
e2“the density of stomata on bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in inland soil”
e3“the length of stomata on the top and bottom leaf surfaces was significantly greater in plants grown in sand dune soil”
Claim · model-written summary
Differences in soil texture, water-holding capacity and nutrient availability likely led to the differences in leaf and petiole morphology.
- Taxon
- Hydrocotyle bonariensisHydrocotyle bonariensise0
- Outcome
- leaf and petiole morphologye4
- Qualifier
- differences in soil texture, and subsequent differences in waterholding capacity and nutrient availabilitye4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb”
e4“These results suggest that the differences in soil texture, and subsequent differences in waterholding capacity and nutrient availability, likely led to the observed differences in leaf and petiole morphology”
Claim · model-written summary
Stomatal density and length may represent a phenotypic plastic response to soil type.
- Taxon
- Hydrocotyle bonariensisHydrocotyle bonariensise0
- Outcome
- stomata density and lengthe5
- Qualifier
- phenotypic plastic response in this species to soil typee5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Hydrocotyle bonariensis is a perennial herb”
e5“differences in stomata density and length may represent a phenotypic plastic response in this species to soil type”