Structural and Functional Modifications in Osmoregulation for Ecological Success in Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)

Cyperus rotundus (family Cyperaceae) also known as purple nutsedge is a perennial weed with creeping scaly rhizomes that arise from tubers.Eight populations of C. rotundus from different ecozones in the Punjab were investigated to evaluate morphological, anatomical and physiological response to soil and environmental conditions.Anatomical characteristics are strongly responsive to environmental conditions.C. rotundus is well adapted to environmental heterogeneity, i.e., agricultural fields, dryland salinity, salt marshes, and desert and semi-desert climates.Its ecological success is because of plasticity in structural and functional features to adapt to different environmental conditions and water conservation via storage parenchyma, wide xylem vessels for conduction of solutes, sclerenchyma and stomatal features for minimizing water loss.Populations from drier habitats showed intensive sclerification in root vascular region, large metaxylem vessels, vascular area and stomatal density.Population from salt marsh had high accumulation of free proline, free amino acids, Ca 2+ and aerenchyma formation in roots and stem, vascular bundle area and number in stem, thicker leaves and well-developed bulliform cells.C. rotundus populations showed high degree of plasticity in morpho-anatomical and physio-biochemical characteristics, which provide this species a great potential to acquire a variety of habitats.Each population showed specific modifications regarding morpho-anatomical and physiological characteristics, which indicated its adaptability potential to a specific environmental condition.