Table 2 Life history characteristics of two species of Gagea from arid environments (Gagea graeca, G. bulbifera) compared with a species from temperate deciduous woodlands (G. lutea)

Reference

This study

Beisenova et al. (2015)

Schnittler et al. (2009), Pfeiffer et al. (2011)

Morphology

Bulb size, flowering plants

3.01 ± 0.63

291

2.55 ± 0.48

291

8.94 ± 1.62

239

Threshold (mm bulb diam.) for

 Flowers

2.17 ± 0.05

405

1.90 ± 0.13

417

6.94 ± 0.04

505

 Bulbils

2.80 ± 0.16

405

4.96 ± 11.39

417

2.63 ± 0.21

505

 Difference

−0.63

405

−3.06

417

4.31

505

Bulbils per plant showing bulbils (range)

1.01 ± 0.10 (1–2)

194

1.00 ± 0.00

26

8.65 ± 5.31 (1–23)

226

Average bulbil size

1.26 ± 0.39

194

1.11 ± 0.48

26

1.49 ± 0.42

226

Switch present?

No

405

No

417

Yes

505

Seed set

Flowers per plant

1.9 ± 1.1 (1–7)

177

1.4 ± 0.9 (1–9)

230

3.2 ± 1.5 (1–8)

217

Capsules per fruiting plant

1.2 ± 0.6 (1–4)

123

1.4 ± 0.9 (0–9)

210

3.2 ± 1.5 (0–8)

216

Mean seed weight (µg)

73 ± 22

24

80 ± 20

10

1650 ± 340

10

Seeds per flowering plant

68 ± 79 (0–445)

177

119 ± 90 (0–827)

230

41 ± 30 (0–159)

217

Seeds per fruiting plant

98 ± 77 (0–445)

123

130 ± 86 (0–827)

210

41 ± 30 (0–159)

216

Seeds per capsule

80 ± 39 (0–184)

123

99 ± 40 (0–224)

210

12 ± 6 (0–33)

216

Resource allocation

N-content (µg/mg dry weight)

 Replacement bulbs

27.9 ± 2.6

9

23.9 ± 1.8

5

8.3 ± 3.5

10

 Seeds

41.2 ± 6.6

24

22.1 ± 1.8

5

25.7 ± 1.9

10

N investment (%) into

 Replacement bulbs

67.1

9

36.4

5

25

10

 Vegetative structures

3.8

9

21.1

5

ca. 60

10

 Basal bulbils

3.9

–

0.5

1

–

–

 Axillary bulbils

–

–

4.5

5

–

–

 Seeds

25.2

24

36.4

5

> 15

10

AFLP data

Diversity R = (G−1)/(N−1)

0.95

110

1.00

10

0.56

141

Proportion of clonal plants

0.09

110

0.00

10

0.62

141