Intraspecific variation of Phragmites australis: Clinal adaption of functional traits and phenotypic plasticity vary with latitude of origin

1. Widespread plant species generally have high intraspecific variation in functional traits, which is reflected in their great variety of phenotypes. This variety can result from both genetic differences due to local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity. With high intraspecific variation and nearly global distribution, the common reed Phragmites australis is a suitable model species for studying the underlying mechanisms of intraspecific trait variation. 

2. In this study, 71 genotypes of P. australis from seven phylogeographic groups were transplanted into two replicate common gardens located in very different climates: northern Europe and mid-east Asia. We measured seven functional traits of all these genotypes over the growing season, including shoot height, maximum biomass per shoot, shoot density, node number per stem, leaf lifespan, flowering occurrence and flowering date. Our aim was to assess the relative effects of genetic (phylogeographic origin) and environmental (common ...