Perennially young: seed production and quality in controlled and natural populations of Cistus albidus reveal compensatory mechanisms that prevent senescence in terms of seed yield and viability

Abstract

This study evaluated if plant ageing can influence the production and composition of seeds in controlled and natural populations of Cistus albidus. Results indicate that reduced plant size in natural populations can help old individuals escape senescence in terms of seed viability loss

Senescence: Is It Universal or Not?

“…In this case of extreme longevity for a perennial herb, greatly reduced growth rates and the alternative use of belowground meristems are considered to hold the secret to long life [15]. Other recent studies using woody perennials support the contention that perennial plants can escape senescence (or at least achieve long life) in the wild by growing very slowly and keeping meristems alive to old ages [19][20][21].…”

“…The fact that this species is clonal, however, limits the biological significance of results in terms of senescence to the organism level because ramet and genet effects can be confounded, as occurs in other studies of senescence (Table 1). Viability analysis of seeds in white-leaved rockrose (Cistus albidus) revealed symptoms of senescence in large plants grown under near-optimal conditions, but no signs of physiological deterioration with aging in small, older plants grown in their natural habitat [19]. Classic studies have shown correlative control of senescence by reproduction in monocarpic plants and in the ramets of perennial plants, the performance of a ramet being physiologically governed at the organism level [25,26].…”

Effects of sand burial and overstory tree age on seedling establishment in coastal Pinus thunbergii forests in the northern Shandong Peninsula, China

“…Seed quality might be increased by ovule abortion rate of cones with increasing tree age (Mao et al 2010). Besides high rates of embryo abortion in mature seeds of older Cistus albidus L., increasing salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and vitamin E levels also were important to ensure seed quality (Müller et al 2014). Furthermore, we found significant interaction on MGT between depth and tree age.…”

Germination and Viability of Pericopsis elata (Harms) V. Meeuwen (Fabaceae) Seedlings Issues of Different Mother Tree Diameters in Forests Production (East - Cameroon)

“…The age of the mother plant can affect the germination parameters of its seeds. Müller et al (2014), show that there is a positive and significant correlation between age and fertility in Cistus albidus. The seed production of Picea mariana increased steadily with mother tree age (Viglas et al 2013).…”

“…That is, it is caused by the local conditions under which the seeds matured. These conditions consist of a combination of the microenvironment experienced by the seed due to its position on the parent plant and the abiotic environment of the plant (Müller et al 2014). In different plant species, maternal factors, such as the position of the inflorescence on the mother plants or the position of the seeds in the fruit, can markedly influence the germinability of seeds (Gutterman 1994(Gutterman , 1996Grey and Thomas 1982), also the age of the mother plant during flower induction (Kigel et al 1979) or seed maturation (Gutterman 1978).…”