Physiological Integration for Carbon in Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum), a Clonal Perennial Herb

Abstract

The degree of physiological integration among compartments within modular plants and animals, as measured by the sharing of resources, can determine the response of such organisms to environmental variability. We used 14 C tracer methods to determine distribution patterns for photoassimilate in mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum L., a rhizomatous perennial herb with a simplified clonal architecture. Over half of the carbohydrate fixed during mind May, 1988, ended up in older segments of the rhizome system by early autumn, 1988. Roots, rhizomes and nodes along the entire length of the rhizome system all contained labelled material. By the following spring, 1989, there was a proportionate increase in label in the newly developing segment (...)