2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The evolution of parasite in epiphytic Pyrrosia (Polypodiaceae)
Project/Area Number |
23770096
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Research Field |
Biodiversity/Systematics
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Research Institution | National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo |
Principal Investigator |
TSUTSUMI Chie 独立行政法人国立科学博物館, 植物研究部, 研究主幹 (30455422)
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Project Period (FY) |
2011-04-28 – 2016-03-31
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Keywords | 着生植物 / 寄生植物 / Pyrrosia |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Epiphytes, which live on other trees, are considered not to steel nutrients from host trees. However It is observed that the branches fully covered by Pyrrosia piloselloides (Polypodiaceae) were dried and sometimes fallen on the ground, suggesting the species can be parasitic. To clarify if P. piloselloides is parasite or not, we performed measurements of growth rates of P. piloselloides and host plants, and anatomical analyses of the roots of P. piloselloides and its host stems. After the elimination of P. piloselloides from host branches, the branches grew well. The anatomical study revealed that the root hairs of P. piloselloides penetrated into several layers from the epidermis of the host stems, although they did not attain to the vascular tissues of the host. Those results suggested that P. piloselloides is not a typical parasite, but it can be facultative mild parasite. It is possible that such parasites exist in other epiphytes.
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Free Research Field |
生物学
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