Phenotypic plasticity of four invasive species in north-eastern section of the Nile Delta coast, Egypt

Phenotypic plasticity is considered one of the major means by which plants can cope with prevailing environmental stresses. The phenological pattern and vegetative traits of the exotic species are explored to explain the invasive success across the invaded new habitats. This study contributes to the assessment of the phenotypic plasticity of selected four exotic weeds are namely: Xanthium strumarium L., Bassia indica (Wight) A. J. Scott , Atriplex lindleyi Moq. and Trianthema portuiaeustrum L. Results indicated that shoot length was greatest in X. strumarium, followed by B. indica and A. lindleyi but least in T. portuiaeustrum. Fresh wight of the foliage was comparable in X. strumarium and A. lindleyi, being higher in both than in B. indica and T. portuiaeustrum. Dry wight of the foliage was highest in X. strumarium, followed by A. Lindleyi, but it was least with comparable values of B. indica and T. portuiaeustrum. Water content of shoots was higher in T. portuiaeustrum and B. indica, slightly lower in X. strumarium and least in A. lindleyi. T. portulacastrum showed the highest concentration of P in site2 (0.62± 0.02), K (0.06±0.001) and Mg (24.76±3.79). B. indica in site3 showed the highest concentration of N (6.07±0.30), Na (0.20±0.009), Moisture content (44.32±0.40) . The lowest concentration of elements was recorded in A. Lindleyi in site 4 of P (0.10±0.01), K(0.01±0.0003), Mg (0.37±0.01) Na (0.04±0.003), X.strumarium in site1 showed the lowest concentration of N (2.17±1.00), moisture content (17.21±5.10).