Interpopulation Variation in Tolerance to Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel and Zinc in Nine Populations of Agrostis Capillaris L.

S ummary Samples of 15000 seeds from each of nine populations of Agrostis capillaris L. were screened for ability to root in solution cultures containing cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc at levels which severely inhibited root growth in non‐metal‐tolerant seed population samples. Differences were found in the extent to which tolerant individuals could be selected from the populations. Only the copper‐tolerant cv. Parys and lead‐/zinc‐tolerant cv. Goginan had relatively high frequencies of individuals tolerant to each metal. Screening one population did not reveal any tolerant individuals. The ability to root in such solutions may reflect the potential populations have to evolve metal‐tolerant populations. Populations exhibit considerable variation in this respect and the potential to evolve tolerance is clearly a characteristic of populations, not the species.