Effect of Seed Weight on the Vegetative Growth of Competing Annual Trifoliums¹

Abstract

The effect of seed weight on the competitive abilities of crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L., and subterranean clover, T. subterraneum L., was studied in simple and mixed communities in a natural‐light environment with nutrients and soil moisture nonlimiting. The yield of each component of the mixture was dependent mainly on its own seed weight (positive) and that of its associate (negative). The effect of seed weight on growth was essentially linear, and it remained so over time. The potential for a buffering effect giving community stability among species of diverse temporal and morphological growth patterns is discussed.