Effects of copper on phenology and reproduction in Rumex dentatus from metalliferous and non-metalliferous sites

The responses of phenology and reproductive traits to copper stress in two populations of Rumex dentatus were comparatively studied with pot culture experiments. Seeds used for the experiments were, respectively, collected from metalliferous and normal soils. It was found that the responses of phenology and reproductive traits to Cu treatment between the two populations were significantly different. Compared to the non-metallicolous population, the metallicolous population of R. dentatus had a short life cycle, large reproductive effort, and high fertility under Cu stress. In addition, the reproductive effort in metallicolous population of R. dentatus was maintained at the expense of a curtailment of vegetative development. The results suggested that change in phenological traits and more resources allocation to reproduction might play an important role in the adaptation of metallicolous population of R. dentatus to the Cu-enriched mine soils.