Leaf and Flower Demography of Trifolium Repens L.

Summary Two clones of Trifolium repens L., differentiated in response to their neighbours, the grasses Dactylis glomerata L. and Poa pratensis L., were grown as single ramets in mixture with these same two grasses. At weekly intervals for 59 weeks, births and deaths of leaves and flowers, and extension of stolons were recorded. These birth and death statistics were used to calculate life spans, natality and mortality rates, age class distributions and other demographic parameters of the populations of leaves and Bowers of T. repens L. For both individuals recruitment and death of leaves occurred throughout most of the year. Flowers were produced from early May to mid September by one individual and from late March to mid September by the other. The average life span of leaves does not vary significantly between the four treatments but the timing of birth has a strong influence on the expectation of life. For leaves and flowers from both white clover plants, the population flux was more rapid when growing with P. pratensis L. than with D. glomerata L., yet in both treatments the final population sizes were similar.