Background and Aims Root sprouting (RS), i.e. the ability to form adventitious buds on roots, is an important form of clonal growth in a number of species, and serves as both a survival strategy and a means of spatial expansion, particularly in plants growing in severely and recurrently disturbed habitats. Occurrence and/or success of plants in severely and recurrently disturbed habitats are determined by two components, namely the ability to produce adventitious buds on roots and the vigour of their production. As mechanisms behind different magnitudes of RS remain unclear, our study investigates: (1) whether the presence or absence of specific tissues in roots can promote or limit RS; and (2) whether there is some relationship between RS ability, RS vigour and species niche. Methods We studied RS ability together with RS vigour in 182 Central European herbaceous species under controlled experimental conditions. We used phylogenetic logistic regressions to model the presence of RS, RS vigour, the relationship between RS and anatomical traits and the relationship between RS and parameters of species niches. Key Results A quarter of herbs examined were able to produce adventitious buds on roots. They were characterized by their preference for open dry habitats, the presence of secondary root thickening and the occurrence of sclerified cortical cells in roots. Root sprouting vigour was not associated with any specific anatomical pattern, but was correlated with the environmental niches of different species, indicating that preferred disturbed and dry habitats might represent a selection pressure for more vigorous root sprouters than undisturbed and wet habitats. Conclusions Our study shows that sprouting from roots is quite common in temperate dicotyledonous herbs. Two components of RS – ability and vigour – should be considered separately in future studies. We would also like to focus more attention on RS in herbs from other regions as well as on external forces and internal mechanisms regulating evolution and the functions of RS in both disturbed and undisturbed habitats.

中文翻译：

---

温带草本植物根部发芽及其活力的比较分析：解剖相关因素和环境预测因素

背景和目的 根发芽（RS），即在根上形成不定芽的能力，是许多物种克隆生长的重要形式，并且既是一种生存策略，也是一种空间扩张的手段，特别是在植物生长中在严重且经常受到干扰的栖息地。植物在严重和经常受到干扰的栖息地中的出现和/或成功取决于两个因素，即根部产生不定芽的能力及其生产的活力。由于不同程度的RS背后的机制仍不清楚，我们的研究调查了：（1）根中特定组织的存在或不存在是否会促进或限制RS；(2)RS能力、RS活力与物种生态位之间是否存在某种关系。方法 我们在受控实验条件下研究了 182 种中欧草本植物的 RS 能力和 RS 活力。我们使用系统发育逻辑回归来模拟 RS 的存在、RS 活力、RS 与解剖特征之间的关系以及 RS 与物种生态位参数之间的关系。主要结果 四分之一的检查草药能够在根部产生不定芽。它们的特点是偏爱开放干燥的栖息地、次生根增厚以及根部出现硬化的皮质细胞。根发芽活力与任何特定的解剖模式无关，但与不同物种的环境生态位相关，这表明与未受干扰和潮湿的栖息地相比，首选受干扰和干燥的栖息地可能代表了对更有活力的根发芽的选择压力。结论我们的研究表明，从根发芽在温带双子叶草本植物中相当常见。RS 的两个组成部分——能力和活力——在未来的研究中应单独考虑。我们还希望更多地关注来自其他地区的草本植物中的RS，以及调节进化的外部力量和内部机制以及RS在受干扰和未受干扰的栖息地中的功能。