HAWKINS, TRACY S.1,2*, JERRY M. BASKIN1, and CAROL C. BASKIN1,3. 1School of Biological Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506; 2Hazard Community College, Jackson, KY 41339; 3Department of Agronomy, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546. - Ecological life cycle and phenology of biomass allocation in Cryptotaenia canadensis.
Cryptotaenia canadensis is an herbaceous plant species
of mesic to wet-mesic deciduous forests of eastern North America. The
ecological life cycle and biomass allocation is being studied for
plants of this species growing in a second-growth mixed mesophytic
forest on the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Kentucky.
Cryptotaenia canadensis reproduces sexually, flowering
and fruiting during early to mid-summer, with concurrent asexual
reproduction via monocarpic ramets produced at the base of the
stem. Plants produced from seeds have a biennial life cycle, thus
requiring two growing seasons to reproduce (sexually and asexually).
Ramets behave as annuals and reproduce (sexually and asexually) after
one growing season. Throughout the active growth stages of the sexual
and asexual phases of the life cycle, relative percent biomass
allocated to above-ground parts increased until death of the (entire)
parent plant following reproduction. Twenty-five to 28% of the total
biomass was allocated to reproduction, 80% of which went to sexual
reproduction (entire umbel). A graphical model of the ecological life
cycle and the phenology of biomass allocation in C.
canadensis will be presented, and biomass allocated to
reproduction in this species will be compared to that of other life
cycle types in the Apiaceae.
Key words: Apiaceae, biomass allocation, Cryptotaenia, life cycle