Evolution of Ecophysiological Traits in a Species of Hybrid Origin, Helianthus Anomalus

了解植物性状和植物表现之间的关系是基础植物科学和应用植物科学的基本目标。本研究将确定野生向日葵杂交种(向日葵畸形种)及其祖先亲本早代杂交种(向日葵和向日葵叶柄)的植株性状与表现(存活和繁殖产量)之间的关系。我们感兴趣的是与水分利用、光合碳增益、生长、存活和生殖输出相关的植物性状。杂交物种复合体提供了一个独特的机会来观察这些性状是如何进化的，以提高杂交后代在沙漠沙丘环境中的适合度，以及哪些性状组合与在这种水和养分有限的环境中的最大表现有关。这些分析将包括a)实验园，以显示哪些植物在沙丘内外的环境中表现最好，b)表型选择实验，以确定哪些性状可以解释更好的表现，以及c)选择实验，以确定向日葵这些性状是否存在可遗传的遗传变异。本研究将加深我们对野生植物如何适应恶劣环境的理解，并为培育商业向日葵耐逆品系提供有用的性状。

Understanding the relationship between plant traits and plant performance is a fundamental goal of both basic and applied plant sciences. This research will determine the relationship between plant traits and performance (survival and reproductive output) for a wild sunflower species of hybrid origin (Helianthus anomalous) and early generation hybrids of its ancestral parents (Helianthus annuus and Helianthus petiolaris). We are interested in plant traits related to water use, photosynthetic carbon gain, growth, survival, and reproductive output. The hybrid species complex provides a unique opportunity to look at how these traits are evolving to improve the fitness of the hybrids in a desert dune environment, and what trait combinations are associated with maximum performance in this water and nutrient limited environment. The analyses will include a) experimental gardens to show which plants do best in environments on and off the dunes, b) phenotypic selection experiments to determine which traits account for better performance, and c) selection experiments to determine whether or not there is heritable genetic variation for these traits in Helianthus. This research will further our understanding of how wild plants adapt to harsh environments and identify traits that may be useful for development of stress tolerant line of commercial Helianthus annuus.