The influence of shoot harvesting on the size and fecundity of Convallaria majalis L.

Abstract

The paper presents results concerning the size and fecundity of Convallaria majalis L. in populations both disturbed and undisturbed by shoot cutting. The subject of the investigations were coenopopulations of Betulo-Quercetum, Fago-Quercetum, Melico-Fagetum, Stellario-Carpinetum and Tilio-Carpinetum, in which, over a period of four consecutive years, C. majalis shoots were cut once a year. In the undisturbed population the vegetative shoot is 22.2 ± 4.8 cm high, weighs 0.23 ± 0.16 g d.w., and most often has two leaves. The leaf lamina was 12.0 ± 2.5 cm long and 3.3 ± 1.1 cm wide. The largest shoots occur in the population in Betulo-Quercetum, and the smallest in the population in Melico-Fagetum. The generative shoot is higher and has larger leaves than the vegetative shoot. The inflorescence most often consists of six flowers and is 21.3 ± 3.9 cm high and weighs 0.08 ± 0.03 g d.w. In the population in Betulo-Quercetum the inflorescence is the highest and has the greatest number of flowers. Multiple raw material collection leads to the decrease of C. majalis shoot sizes. In the second year of the experiment the shoots were three times lighter. Collection of raw material leads to a decrease in lily of the valley fecundity. After the second cut generative reproduction was halted and the influx of genets to the population was almost entirely eliminated.