Growth analysis of the reproductive shoots of Alstroemeria aurea in two contrasting populations

Dry-weight, leaf area, height, density of shoots and seed-production components were studied for two natural populations of the herb Alstroemeria aurea growing in Nothofagus forest and shrubland in northern Patagonia. The vegetative development (height, leaf area and vegetative biomass per shoot) was higher in the understory than in the shrubland. The density of vegetative shoots was also higher in the understory. The density of flowering shoots was similar for both populations. The production of seeds per shoot was higher in the shrubland due to the higher number of seeds per fruit Apparently, a snowfall during the growing season reduced the production of fruits per shoot in the understory population .