Defence Is a Priority in Female Juveniles and Adults of Taxus baccata L.

Female individuals of dioecious plants invest their resources more in storage and defence, the males have higher nitrogen content invested production pollen grains. An unresolved problem is whether this strategy occurs only sexually mature or can also occur juvenile plants. To answer this, Taxus baccata (L.) needles from rooted cuttings (juveniles) a pot experiment were compared for carbon, nitrogen, starch, total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC), phenolic compounds (TPhC). The results indicate that differences between sexes occurred mainly plants, where starch was females males. However, novelty TPhC generally than both adults juveniles, suggesting defence priority an early age. We do not know if innate trait because strobili (albeit at very low level) juveniles observed all after autumn first year. found no effect fertilization on sex-specific response experiment, which may be related to lower reproductive effort juveniles.