Friday, January 03, 2014 11:13:20 PM
Plants Do Compete, and Take Time Off
Victoria Roberts
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
Published: December 30, 2013
Q. My orchid quit blooming while I cared for a friend’s profusely blooming plant for a year. When the visiting orchid was gone, my plant started sending out shoots again. Is there any evidence that plants are competitive?
A. There is scientific evidence that plants can communicate chemically and that they do compete, said Marc Hachadourian, manager of the Nolen Greenhouses at the New York Botanical Garden [ http://www.nybg.org/ ]. But he added that one orchid could not prevent another orchid from flowering.
“It’s not uncommon for a plant to take a year off,” said Mr. Hachadourian, who supervises the garden’s orchid collection, “so without knowing the exact circumstances of these two plants, such as whether the visiting plant completely shaded the resident plant, it’s probably purely coincidental that the resident orchid didn’t flower that year.”
As for plants that do compete, he cited black walnuts [ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a875 ]. They stymie other shade plants in the immediate neighborhood through the process of allelopathy, the release of compounds that inhibit plant growth.
In the case of the black walnut tree, Juglans nigra, the effect [ http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/staff/rbir/blackwalnutcompanions.html ] is particularly noticeable because the tree produces a considerable amount of a nontoxic chemical called hydrojuglone. This compound, found in leaves, stems, fruit hulls, inner bark and roots, oxidizes in the presence of air or soil into juglone, which is highly toxic to surrounding trees, making them wither and die. Juglone is one of many allelochemicals [ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allelochemical ] used by trees and plants.
© 2013 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/science/plants-do-compete-and-take-time-off.html
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http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=80007097 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=95424311 and preceding and following
*
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=72429865 and preceding and following
Victoria Roberts
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
Published: December 30, 2013
Q. My orchid quit blooming while I cared for a friend’s profusely blooming plant for a year. When the visiting orchid was gone, my plant started sending out shoots again. Is there any evidence that plants are competitive?
A. There is scientific evidence that plants can communicate chemically and that they do compete, said Marc Hachadourian, manager of the Nolen Greenhouses at the New York Botanical Garden [ http://www.nybg.org/ ]. But he added that one orchid could not prevent another orchid from flowering.
“It’s not uncommon for a plant to take a year off,” said Mr. Hachadourian, who supervises the garden’s orchid collection, “so without knowing the exact circumstances of these two plants, such as whether the visiting plant completely shaded the resident plant, it’s probably purely coincidental that the resident orchid didn’t flower that year.”
As for plants that do compete, he cited black walnuts [ http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a875 ]. They stymie other shade plants in the immediate neighborhood through the process of allelopathy, the release of compounds that inhibit plant growth.
In the case of the black walnut tree, Juglans nigra, the effect [ http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/staff/rbir/blackwalnutcompanions.html ] is particularly noticeable because the tree produces a considerable amount of a nontoxic chemical called hydrojuglone. This compound, found in leaves, stems, fruit hulls, inner bark and roots, oxidizes in the presence of air or soil into juglone, which is highly toxic to surrounding trees, making them wither and die. Juglone is one of many allelochemicals [ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allelochemical ] used by trees and plants.
© 2013 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/science/plants-do-compete-and-take-time-off.html
--
in addition to (linked in) the post to which this post is a reply and preceding and (other) following, see also (linked in):
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=80007097 and preceding and following
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=95424311 and preceding and following
*
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=72429865 and preceding and following
Greensburg, KS - 5/4/07
"Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty."
from John Philpot Curran, Speech
upon the Right of Election, 1790
F6
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