CONTRASTING PATTERNS OF CLONALITY IN 2 CLOSELY-RELATED MALLEE SPECIESFROM WESTERN-AUSTRALIA, EUCALYPTUS-ARGUTIFOLIA AND EUCALYPTUS-OBTUSIFLORA (MYRTACEAE)
Wj. Kennington et Sh. James, CONTRASTING PATTERNS OF CLONALITY IN 2 CLOSELY-RELATED MALLEE SPECIESFROM WESTERN-AUSTRALIA, EUCALYPTUS-ARGUTIFOLIA AND EUCALYPTUS-OBTUSIFLORA (MYRTACEAE), Australian Journal of Botany, 45(4), 1997, pp. 679-689
Allozymes were used to investigate patterns of clonal growth (vegetati
ve spread) in two closely related multi-stemmed (mallee) eucalypts fro
m Western Australia. Eucalyptus argutifolia Grayling & Brooker, a rare
species with a localised distribution, appeared to be extensively clo
nal. Several populations had putative clones larger than 100 m(2), wit
h the largest clone size estimated to be 306 m(2). By contrast, the mo
re common and widespread E. obtusiflora DC. was far less clonal and ha
d a maximum clone size of 22 m(2). Both genetic and environmental fact
ors may have contributed to these contrasting patterns of clonal growt
h. When clonality is taken into account, most populations of E. arguti
folia had very few individuals (less than or equal to 12 genets) and e
stimates from this study suggest that the entire species may consist o
f less than 500 genets.