Growth and reproduction of Rumex maritimus and Chenopodium rubrum under different waterlogging regimes

The influence of different waterlogging treatments on above-ground development and subsequent flowering and seed production of Chenopodium rubrum L. and Rumex maritimus L. was studied in a greenhouse experiment. C. rubrum, a typical occupant of low sandy beaches at times when floods have subsided, appeared to be suppressed by all waterlogging regimes. R. maritimus, an inhabitor of wet mud flats of old river beds, was found to be quite tolerant to waterlogging conditions; early waterlogging, during the rosette stage, led to an increase in dry weight and seed production in some cases. In general, seed production changed more than biomass as a result of waterlogging; responses greatly depend on regimes. Intermittent waterlogging generally caused more damage than did continuous waterlogging, especially in the case of C. rubrum. Even R. maritimus produced less seeds under conditions of intermittent waterlogging. The results demonstrate that adaptations to, and damage from, flooding greatly depend on flooding regimes which vary substantially in the field situation.