Sign up for the iWire to get breaking news, event info and the species spotlight.
Abstract Detail
Return to List
Author: Carver, Sean
Email: scarver@neo.tamu.edu
Phone: 210-859-6749
Organization: Texas A&M University
Address:
Rm 202 HFSB,
College Station,
TX,
77843
Abstract Title: VARIATION IN GROWTH HABIT AND PROPENSITY TO FLOWER OF OENOTHERA DRUMMONDII HOOK. FROM THREE TEXAS COASTAL REGIONS. Sean T. Carver*, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Michael Arnold, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, David H. Byrne, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Anna R. Armitage, Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University, Galveston, R. Daniel Lineberger, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, and Andrew R. King, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
Abstract Text: Oenothera drummondii Hook. is a native coastal species to Texas with potential to serve as a substitute for exotic species with invasive tendencies. In an effort to evaluate ornamental aspects of O. drummondii, and to document the phenotypic variation present in the species, sixteen accessions of O. drummondii were collected along the coast of Texas from Brownsville, TX to Port Arthur TX. The accessions represented three larger regional groups from the southern coast, central coast and northern coast. The southern region consisted of Brownsville and surrounding areas, the central region of Corpus Christi, and the northern coast of areas surrounding Galveston TX. Accessions were grown in field and container conditions to evaluate growth habit, leaf characteristics, flower number and size, as well as overall ornamental appeal. Data was analyzed with individual entries and separately with the accessions grouped into regional collection areas. Differences were found amongst clones and regional groups for all growth measures except for internode length. In cluster analysis two large groups formed one with all southern accessions except for one and another that included the central and northern accessions. This suggests from the material collected there are two major groups of O. drummondii, one found near Brownsville and another that extends from Corpus Christi to the Louisiana and Texas state border. In general the southern forms have a more upright and less spreading shrub-like habit, whereas the plants from the central and northern areas have a shorter more spreading groundcover growth form. Accessions from the northern and central coast had a greater tendency to be free flowering. The results of this study will allow future researchers to target collection trips for O. drummondii to regions of the Texas coast based on specific traits of interest facilitating its development as a ornamental shrub or groundcover substitute for exotic species adapted to coastal environments.
Conference
Year: TIPPC_2014
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Presenter Type (Student or Regular): Student
Session: 4. Research
Submission Date: 2014-01-14
