ECOLOGICAL STUDY ON Plantago major L. IN THE DIFFERENT HABITATS OF DAMIETTA | ||||
| Journal of Plant Production | ||||
| Article 14, Volume 1, Issue 7, July 2010, Page 1007-1031 PDF (876.48 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2010.86560 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
M. M. S. Serag  ; Amina Z. Abo El-Naga; Mahitab M. A. El-Ramal
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| Botany Department, Faculty of Science at Damietta, Mansoura University Branch at New Damietta, P.O. Box 34517 (54), Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| A survey was made to study the pattern of Plantago major distribution; floristic composition; role of its habitats characteristics on phenotypic plasticity at Damietta, Egypt. Twenty stands were selected to cover seven habitat types. These habitats were namely: sandy fertile cultivated lands, irrigation canals, orchards, reclaimed lands, waste lands, public gardens, and road sides. Plantago major was found to be associated with 24 species (14 annuals and 10 perennials) belonging to 23 genera and related to 11 families. The majority of the recorded species are therophytes (65%). The geophyte life form was the most distributed, it occupied 17 sites of the study area. Plantago major had a wide ecological amplitude, it was recorded in soils with wide range of moisture content (5.54:37%); salinity (153.2:549.05 μmhos/cm) and nutrients e.g sulphates (0.106:0.584%); calcium carbonates (4.4:20.5%); Ca++(3.6:11.2 mg/g dry wt) and phosphorus (3.65:23.5 mg/g dry wt). This high amplitude forced Plantago major to show a considerable morphological plasticity; variation in biomass and water content. There was a correlation among studied traits, indicating a high degree of phenotypic characters. The major soil variables affect the phenotypic plasticity of Plantago major were moisture content, soil salinity, sulphates, calcium carbonates, Ca++, and phosphorus. | ||||
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