Abstract
Aqueous extracts of 12 subtropical grasses inhibited seed germination and radicle growth ofLactuca sativa var. Great Lakes at osmotic concentrations as low as 10 milliosmol.Acroceras macrum,Chloris gayana, Digitaria decumbens, andPanicum maximum exhibited the highest inhibition, whileCortaderia selloana revealed the least. Toxic spots were found on chromatograms of the ether fraction of aqueous extracts.Cynodon dactylon, Setaria sphacelata, andTripsacum laxum showed more than six toxic spots, whileAndropogon nodosum,Bracharia mutica, andChloris gayana gave less than three toxic spots. The phytotoxins ferulic, syringic,p-coumaric, vanillic,p-hydroxybenzoic, ando-hydroxyphenylacetic acids were identified. These compounds are differentially distributed in the 12 grasses studied. Additionally, most of these compounds were also found in the associated soils; the control (nonherb-growth) soil provided the toxic compounds in significantly less amount than did the grass soils.
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Chou, C.H., Young, C.C. Phytotoxic substances in twelve subtropical grasses. J Chem Ecol 1, 183–193 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987867
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987867