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Genets of dwarf bamboo do not die after one flowering event: evidence from genetic structure and flowering pattern

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Abstract

Dwarf bamboos in the genus Sasa are believed to be long-lived, synchronously flowering, and monocarpic plants. However, the monocarpy of dwarf bamboo has not been confirmed, because whether all ramets within one genet flower at the same time cannot be determined without differentiating the genetic structure among ramets. This study aims to evaluate the reproductive traits of Sasa pubiculmis by verifying the monocarpy and physiological integration between flowering ramets and non-flowering ramets during a 4-year flowering period. One genotypically identified genet, which covered an area of approximately 3 ha, had both flowering and non-flowering patches of ramets during the 4-year flowering period (2004–2007). A fraction of the flowering genet remained non-flowering during the 4 years of observation, and did not die after mass flowering. Flowering ramets were physically connected to non-flowering ramets via rhizomes, and assimilated 13C was allocated from non-flowering ramets to flowering ramets. Consequently, we clarified that this dwarf bamboo potentially has polycarpic reproductive traits rather than monocarpic, and a genet can keep rhizomes and non-flowering patches alive to sustain the organism after mass flowering.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. E. Shibata for assisting with the arrangements for the field survey; Drs. K. Ishida and K. Hirayama for laboratory support; Messrs. T. Ishii, A. Okuda, K. Ichikawa, S. Okuyama, and the staff of the TOEF for assisting with the arrangements at the study site; Drs. H. Miyasaka, H. Doi, and Prof. S. Nakano for permitting and supporting the stable isotope analysis; Drs. Y. Konno, K. Takahashi, A. Makita, M. Kobayashi and K. Yonekura for taxonomic identification of the study species. This study was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (15208014 and 18380090).

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Author notes

  1. Yuko Miyazaki

    Present address: Creative Research Initiative Sousei, Hokkaido University, 001-0021, Sapporo, Japan

  2. Naoki Ohnishi

    Present address: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Tohoku Research Center, Nabeyashiki, 020-0123, Morioka, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nara Forest Research Institute, Takatori, 635-0133, Nara, Japan

    Yuko Miyazaki

  2. Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Kansai Research Center, Nagaikyutaro 68, 612-0855, Kyoto, Japan

    Naoki Ohnishi

  3. Tomakomai Research Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, 053-0035, Tomakomai, Japan

    Hino Takafumi & Tsutom Hiura

Authors
  1. Yuko Miyazaki
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  2. Naoki Ohnishi
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  3. Hino Takafumi
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  4. Tsutom Hiura
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Correspondence to Yuko Miyazaki.

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Miyazaki, Y., Ohnishi, N., Takafumi, H. et al. Genets of dwarf bamboo do not die after one flowering event: evidence from genetic structure and flowering pattern. J Plant Res 122, 523–528 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-009-0241-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-009-0241-9

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