Effects of the habitat-soil factor on transgenerational plasticity in a diaspore-polymorphic cold desert annual

Aims: We determined effects of soil from three habitats differing in physiochemical properties on transgenerational plasticity in diaspore production of the diaspore-polymorphic annual Ceratocarpus arenarius. Methods: Production of three disapore morphs and size of F₀ plants in a sand desert (S) were evaluated. F₁ plants from morphs at soil surface (a) and middle (c) and upper (f) parts of canopy of F₀ plants were grown in soil from S, salt desert (SD) and desert steppe (DS) and evaluated for diaspore production and plant size. Results: Number of dispersal unit morphs for F₀ plants in S was (f > c)> > a. Plants from all three morphs varied in size, mass and mass allocation. For F₁ plants (compared to F₀), a:(c + f) was the same or increased in S (poor soil) and decreased in DS (good soil); c:(a + f) increased in S and DS; and f:(a + c) decreased in S and DS. In SD, ratios for F₁ plants from a and c were the same as those in S, but ratios for F₁ plants from f were the same as those in S and DS. Conclusions: Differences in soil physiochemistry caused flexibility in plant size, mass and mass allocation and proportion of diaspore morphs across generations.