Nutrient hot spots in the soil have a limited life span, but the costs and benefits for root foraging are still underexposed. We assessed short-term costs that may arise when a nutrient-rich patch induces root proliferation, but then rapidly disappears. Rumex palustris plants were grown with a homogeneous or a heterogeneous nutrient application. After root proliferation in a nutrient-rich patch...

Both red light (10 minutes) and 35 degrees C treatment (60 minutes) stimulate the germination of seeds of Rumex obtusifolius otherwise maintained in darkness at 25 degrees C. Fluence response curves were determined for the effect of red light to stimulate germination of seeds with and without 35 degrees C treatment. The endogenous far-red absorbing form (Pfr) level in the seeds was determined u...

Floristics of Vittadinia triloba communities in Central Otago and the upper Waitaki valley and Rumex acetosella communities in the upper Waitaki, are compared with each other and with similar communities elsewhere in the South Island. Many species are common to all semi-arid areas, but each area has as its own special features, either the presence of a particular species or the greater abundanc...