TITLE:
Communication between Two Lactuca Species
AUTHORS:
Anna G. Aguilera, Sara Williams, Tiffany Armstrong
KEYWORDS:
Plant Communication, Lactuca, Root Exudate
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.6 No.13,
December
26,
2016
ABSTRACT: There is increasing evidence of plant communication and behavior. We examine how twoLactucaspecies,L. sativaandL. serriola, communicate with themselves and one another via root exudates. We exposed both species to their own, to the same species, and to the other species root exudates. We then measured the length of their primary root as a proxy for competitive effort.L. serriolaproduced longer roots when exposed to its own exudates relative to when exposed toL. sativa’s. In contrast,L. sativaproduced shorter roots when exposed to its own root exudates. These results indicate kin recognition in these species. Further, the results show thatL. sativa, a domesticated species, shares resources well with conspecifics. In contrast,L. serriola, a sparsely distributed species, is more competitive with conspecifics than with other species. We argue that artificial selection and domestication ofL. sativa, from its progenitorL. serriola, modifyhow the species interprets and respond to exudate cues from neighboring plants.