Effect of the urban environment on the growth and reproduction of creeping woodsorrel, Oxalis corniculata L.

Source abstract

Abstract Urbanisation creates heterogeneous environmental conditions that can induce phenotypic changes in plants. Therefore, phenotypic plasticity may contribute to the persistence of plants in urban habitats. In this study, we investigated the phenotypic plasticity of the cosmopolitan weed Oxalis corniculata in response to temperature and photoperiod by examining its germination, vegetative, pigmentation, and reproductive traits. Plants were exposed to three temperatures (17 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C) and two photoperiods (16 h and 24 h). Temperature influenced growth, anthocyanin accumulation, stem morphology, germination, and reproductive traits, with different traits responding in different ways. An extended photoperiod reduced several growth traits and increased leaf thickness and visible red pigmentation. Notably, plants with predominantly green leaves under the 16 h photoperiod developed pronounced red pigmentation under the 24 h photoperiod, demonstrating that leaf colour can be environmentally induced. Overall, these findings demonstrated that O. corniculata exhibits trait-specific phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature and photoperiod. This phenotypic flexibility may contribute to its persistence under heterogeneous and fluctuating environmental conditions characteristic of urban habitats.