Flowering of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Tampa Bay, Florida area
Grey, W.F.; Moffler, M.D. (1978). Flowering of the seagrass Thalassia testudinum (Hydrocharitaceae) in the Tampa Bay, Florida area. Aquat. Bot. 5(3): 251-259
In: Aquatic Botany. Elsevier Science: Tokyo; Oxford; New York; London; Amsterdam. ISSN 0304-3770; e-ISSN 1879-1522, more
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| Keywords |
Reproduction (biology)
Hydrocharitaceae Jussieu [WoRMS]; Thalassia testudinum K.D.Koenig, 1805 [WoRMS]
Marine/Coastal |
| Abstract |
Nine sites in the Tampa Bay area were sampled during June 1976 to document flowering occurrence and obtain baseline data for the study of flowering populations of Thalassia testudinum Banks ex Konig. Flowering occurred at all sites. Qualitative information was obtained on three distinct floral stages: bud, anthesis, and fruit. Comparison between two sites showed that frequency of sexual reproduction varied from 35 to 56%. Average densities of reproductive short-shoots ranged from 8 to 19 m-2 . Sex ratios from individual sites indicated general predominance of female over male short-shoots, with an average overall ratio of 3:1. Field observations and transect data demonstrated patchiness in the spatial pattern of reproductive short-shoots. Limited evidence provided additional information indicating that short-shoots on a common rhizome (i.e. an individual Thalassia plant) are dioecious. |
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