Plastic response in amphibious plant functional traits along a latitudinal (climate) gradient

Abstract

This dataset supports an investigation into the variation of vegetative and reproductive traits of six plant species characteristic of Mediterranean temporary ponds, Baldellia ranunculoides, Damasonium bourgaei, Damasonium polyspermum, Elatine brochonii, and Isoetes velata, across a 750-km north-south latitudinal (climate) gradient (31°-35° N) in Morocco (mean annual precipitation range 264 to 856 mm). Selected vegetative (height, number of leaves, leaf area) and reproductive (number of fruits, number of seeds/spores per fruit, number of seeds/spores per plant, seed/spore size and seed mass) traits of these six species were assessed on both field-collected specimens and on plants grown from seeds/spores in mesocosms under uniform experimental conditions. We hypothesized that the observed differences in functional traits (vegetative and reproductive) among populations mainly reflect phenotypic plasticity to variable environmental conditions. This work was possible thanks to the scientific permit (N° 241 HCEFLCD/DLCDPN/DPRN/CFF) granted by the Agence Nationale des Eaux et Forêts (Morocco).