EVOLUTION OF FLUORIDE TOLERANCE IN PLANTAGO-LANCEOLATA

Fluoride tolerance evolution was investigated by means of simple solut ion culture experiments. Seeds of Plantago lanceolata were collected a t different distances from a fluoride manufacturing works and germinat ed in Petri dishes. A previous study had demonstrated an exponential t ype decrease in soil fluoride concentrations with distance from the fa ctory. Plants grown from seeds collected near the factory were slower growing than susceptible plants in the absence of fluoride, but faster growing in the presence of fluoride. This is the first study providin g evidence of fluoride tolerance in plants. As in studies demonstratin g tolerance to other pollutants, tolerance evolution seems to involve a 'cost' in terms of a lower productivity of tolerant compared with no n-tolerant plants.