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Reproductive biology of Sporobolus phleoides Hack. (Poaceae), an endemic halophyte grass of Argentina

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Abstract

Sporobolus phleoides is an endemic grass of Argentina considered an important genetic resource for saline environments due to its salinity tolerance. Basic information about its reproductive biology is needed to adequately preserve its genetic variability. Hence, we studied its breeding system through phenology, embryological analysis, and self-pollination versus open-pollination treatments in six populations collected from four provinces of Argentina. The results indicated that S. phleoides is mainly autogamous with a high fertility rate. Cleistogamous and chasmogamous spikelets are isomorphic and occur simultaneously on the inflorescence, with higher percentages of cleistogamy found in the basal region of the panicle. The average percentage of cleistogamy during the study period was 23 % for all populations evaluated. The development of the embryo sac follows the typical pattern of grasses and indicates normal sexual reproduction. This study provides the basis for programming genotype collections for gene banks and future plans of domestication.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Dr. DC Castro and to Mg. JM Zabala for his help with the statistical analysis of data; to Dr. MA Richard and Dr. MM Gotelli for helping with the English revision. Financial support for this research was provided by the Universidad Nacional del Litoral and the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cátedra de Botánica Sistemática Agronómica, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RP Luis Kreder 2805, 3080HOF, Esperanza, Argentina

    Geraldina Alicia Richard, José Francisco Pensiero, María Carolina Cerino & Hugo Francisco Gutiérrez

  2. Cátedra de Botánica General, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. San Martín 4453, C1417DSE, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Beatriz Gloria Galati

  3. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Geraldina Alicia Richard, José Francisco Pensiero, María Carolina Cerino & Beatriz Gloria Galati

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  1. Geraldina Alicia Richard
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Correspondence to Geraldina Alicia Richard.

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Richard, G.A., Pensiero, J.F., Cerino, M.C. et al. Reproductive biology of Sporobolus phleoides Hack. (Poaceae), an endemic halophyte grass of Argentina. Plant Syst Evol 301, 1937–1945 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-015-1206-1

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