Appearance of phenotypic plasticity of leaves in psammophyte Corynephorus canescens during flooding

The results of the study of the leaf structure in psammophyte Corynephorus canescens, which grew under controlled conditions and flooding using the methods of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and laser confocal microscopy, are presented. This study revealed common and distinctive signs of morphological and anatomical parameters of C. canescens leaves in the phase of vegetative growth. Among the common features were the shape and size of the leaf laminas, hypostomatic type of the leaf, isolateral structure of the parenchyma, the thick-walled epidermis, and the bilayered hypodermis. Among the distinctive features were the signs of the destruction of cells in the photosynthetic parenchyma, change in their shape with the formation of protuberances at the cells’ poles, and almost doubling area of the aerenchyma in C. canescens leaves under flooding conditions. Scanning electron microscopy showed the similarity of ultrastructure and density of trichomes on the adaxial surface, excepting the formation of cuticular wax structures on the epidermal surface of the leaves in flooded plants. The subcellular localization of silicon inclusions was studied for the first time. The presence of amorphous and small crystalline silicon inclusions in the periclinal walls of the main epidermal cells and amorphous silicon inclusions in leaf trichomes was established. An increase in the relative silicon content along the trichomes in the leaves’ epidermis after flooding was revealed. It was assumed that the phenotypic plasticity of C. canescens, is realized through the increasing area of aerenchyma in leaves and increasing silicon content in trichomes. Such plasticity helps to optimize both the oxygen balance of plants and water balance in flooded plants, thus increasing the species’ resistance to prolonged flooding.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF CORYNEPHORUS CANESCENS (L.) P. BEAUV. (POACEAE) IN THE LEFT BANK FOREST-STEPPE OF UKRAINE

The article summarizes data about the distribution of Corynephoruscanescens(L.) P.Beauv.in the Left Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. This species which is native for Europe and North Africa was firstly found on the research territory. Currently nine localities of this vascular plant species are known within Kyiv (seven locations) and Poltava (two locations) administrative regions. Based on the analysis of geobotanical relevés made by authors on psammophytic vegetation plots with the participation of Corynephoruscanescensit was found that studied sand areas within Kyiv region belong to the associationCorniculario aculeatae-Corynephoretum canescentis Steffen1931 from the classKoelerioglaucae-CorynephoreteacanescentisKlikainKlika& Novak1941 (allianceCorynephorioncanescentisKlika1931, orderCorynephoretaliacanescentisKlika1934); they have clear two-layered structure with the substantive complicity of moss and lichen species. On the other hand, similarpsammophytic communities within Poltava region have the simplified one-layered composition with the tenuous herb cover and the absence of moss and lichen layers; they are treated by authors as a separate community –comm. CorynephoruscanescenswithintheclassKoelerioglaucae-Corynephoreteacanescentis. Based on these ecological data,Corynephoruscanescensis considered as a species with dissimilar status in different parts of the research territory. Found localities of this species within Poltava region are to be treated as alien and associated with human activity,but in the southern part of Kyiv region,the autochthonous (or atleast simultaneously mixed indigenous and antropogenic) dispersal of its diaspors by anemochory is quite reliable. The phytosociological tables of geobotanical relevés made by authors in Kyiv and Poltava administrative regions in 2017–2020 are presented. The status of Corynephoruscanescens on other territories near the eastern border of the area of its distribution is discussed.Keywords: floristic finding, new species, psammophytic vegetation, the Forest-Steppezone. Стаття узагальнює дані щодо поширення у Лівобережному Лісостепу України нового для цієї території виду Corynephoruscanescens(L.) P. Beauv., природний ареал якого охоплює Європу та Північну Африку. Зараз вид відомий з девʼяти локалітетів, які адміністративно розташовані у межах Київської (сім) і Полтавської (два) областей. За результатами аналізу геоботанічних описів псамофітних угруповань з участю цього виду встановлено, що у Київській області ділянки, на яких був знайдений Corynephoruscanescens, можна розглядати як фітоценози асоціації Corniculario aculeatae-Corynephoretum canescentis Steffen1931 з класу Koelerioglaucae-CorynephoreteacanescentisKlikainKlika& Novak1941 (союз CorynephorioncanescentisKlika, порядок CorynephoretaliacanescentisKlika1934), вони відзначаються добре вираженою двохярусною структурою зі значною участю мохів і лишайників, тоді як у Полтавськійобласті аналогічні ценози мають спрощену одноярусну будову з дуже розрідженим травʼяним покривом і розглядаються як окреме угруповання comm. Corynephoruscanescensу межах класу Koelerioglaucae-Corynephoreteacanescentis. З огляду на це, локалітети виду на Полтавщині автори вважають такими, які мають антропогенне походження, тоді як на Київщині вони є природними або принаймні природно-антропогенними. Наведені фітоценотичні таблиці геоботанічних описів, виконаних авторами. Обговорюється статус Corynephoruscanescensв інших регіонах біля східної межі його ареалу.Ключові слова: флористична знахідка, новий вид, псамофітна рослинність, лісостепова зона.

First record of Corynephorus canescens (Poaceae) in Leningrad Region and its status in Northwestern Russia

Corynephorus canescens (L.) P. Beauv. is a perennial grass of European origin, having a limited distribution in Russia. Previously, it was reliably reported from five administrative regions (i. e. the Bryansk, Kaliningrad, Moscow, Pskov and Smolensk Regions). In this article, I present the first record of C. canescens in the Leningrad Region (Northwestern Russia). The local population of the species was found in a natural habitat, a dry pine forest. This is the northernmost known locality of the species in Russia so far. The residence status of C. canescens in Northwestern Russia is briefly discussed.

Growth responses of maritime sand dune plant species to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

In a pot experiment conducted in a greenhouse, the response of 6 plant species dominating in the succession of vegetation of a deflation hollow of the Łeba Bar to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was investigated. The inoculum was a mixture of soil, roots and spores of 5 species of AMF with the dominant species <i>Glomus aggregatum</i>. Except for <i>Corynephorus canescens</i> and <i>Festuca rubra</i> subsp. <i>arenaria</i>, both the growth and the dry matter of above-ground parts of plants of <i>Agrostis stolonifera, Ammophila arenaria, Corynephorus canescens, Juncus articulatus</i> and <i>J. balticus</i> inoculated with AMF were higher than those growing in soils lacking infection propagules of these fungi. Inoculation with AMF decreased the dry matter of root: shoot ratios in 5 plant species. This property was not determined in <i>Festuca rubra</i> subsp. <i>arenaria</i> due to the death of all control plants. The level of mycorrhizal infection was low and did not correlate with the growth responses found. The high growth reaction of <i>Juncus</i> spp. to AMF found in this study suggests that the opinion of non-mycotrophy or low dependence of plants of <i>Juncaceae</i> on AMF was based on results of investigations of plants growing in wet sites known to inhibit the formation of mycorrhizae.

Metallophytes in biotopes polluted by waste dumps rich in Zn-Pb, Cd (Olkusz region) – review of previous and planned research

The aim of that publication was the presentation of previous and planned research concerning selected vascular plants and soils near Olkusz (Southern Poland). The extremely high concentration of heavy metals in soils from that region was caused by the natural geochemical aureoles of dispersed metals (due to weathering of Zn-Pb-Fe ore sulphides) and mining and processing of shallowly occurring metalliferous deposits (containing Ag-Pb and Zn-Pb ores) since XII century. The condition of stress in metals, shortage of water and some plant nutrition led to formation of some adaptable vegetation features by plants growing in that region. Some species called metallophytes have been already detailed investigated. Moreover some geochemical and pedological research of soil have been already done. However the conditions of habitat of pioneering species such as Koeleria glauca and Corynephorus canescens are not still recognized.

Testing the Reliability of Anatomical and Epidermical Characters in Grass Taxonomy

Grasses are simplified plants and the leaf is one of the few organs that provides taxonomic characters. Leaf anatomy and epidermis (and associated structures) have been used as characters in taxonomy of Poaceae since the 1930s. Such characters became well-established and accepted in the 1960s with Metcalfe's investigations. However, recent research casts doubts on the consistency and reliability of such characters [e.g. 3]. Grasses are highly adaptable plants due to their marked phenotypic plasticity. In order to assess the reliability of leaf characters, species that occur in very contrasting habitats constitute the ideal case study. Corynephorus canescens (L.) P. Beauv. and Antinoria agrostidea (DC.) Parl. were selected; the former occurs from coastal sandy dunes to high altitude, the latter survives submerged and in ponds that dry-out during summer.