Analysis of Ramet Development in the Stoloniferous Herb Glechoma hederacea Using a Plastochron Index

The ability of clonal plants to respond morphologically to environmental conditions may be an important factor in their ability to survie environmental change. Interpretation of changes in morphology that appear to be responses to changing conditions must be based on an understanding of plant development. The morphology and architecture of G. hederacea result from the processes of internode elongation, leaf expansion, petiole extension and secondary development. To increase our understanding of plant development, we recorded these processes relative to an index of plant size, the plastochron index, which was based on the number of new primary ramets and internode elongation. Internodes completed their elongation very early relative to other parts of each ramet (...)