Phenotypic Placticity of Avena fatua and A. barbata

Two independent experiments were conducted to compare the relative plasticity of Avena fatua and A. barbata. In both experiments, seed samples from a single mixed population were grown in a series of controlled environments. The within- and between-environment components of variation were estimated for a wide range of quantitative characters. Avena barbata was found to be developmentally more flexible than A. fatua. The significance of these findings is briefly discussed in relation to the adaptive strategies of the two species.