Pattern of 14C assimilate distribution in a clonal herb, Aralia nudicaulis

Abstract

The pattern of 14C assimilate distribution was studied in Aralia nudicaulis L. to determine the extent of physiological integration among individual shoots in a clone. The experiments showed that most of the carbon assimilated by an individual shoot remained within that shoot after 24 h. Most of the carbon exported by a shoot was translocated basipetally into the rhizome section adjacent to the shoot. While the rhizome basipetal to a shoot was a major storage organ, the roots and new rhizomes adjacent to a shoot had the highest specific activity. Changes in the normal translocation pattern were observed when one shoot was shaded before an adjacent shoot was labelled. There was an increased amount of carbohydrate translocated from an unshaded shoot to the root and rhizome components adjacent to a shaded shoot. The changed pattern of translocation after disturbance indicated the potential for physiological integration among shoots within a clone.