The results, published in this book, present the outcome of a cooperative research between plant ecologists, physiologists and population geneticists. The project received generous financial support from the Foundation for Bio­ logical Research, which is subsidized by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. During the course of the Project the value of the in­ tegrative approach on a limited number of Plantago species and populations became evident and it was decided that the results should be published as a book. The start of the preparation of the "plantago" book was done by Dr. P. J. M. van der Aart and Dr. H. Lambers but due to their appointment as full professor of the University of Utrecht they were both unable to continue. We are greatly indebted to Van der Aart and Lambers for the groundwork they have laid. The book presents a sample of results obtained over a period of more than 10 years. Research on Plantago is still continuing, as evident from a number of publications and doctoral theses. We want to thank the authors for their pa­ tience and assistance to complete the job. The editorial assistance of Mrs. I. Cameron-Doornbos was extremely valuable, as well as the help of Mr. E. Leeuwinga und Mrs. N. Tolmeijer with the drawings and the help of Mrs. T. E. Stuit with the list of references.

Inhalt

1 Introduction.- 2 General Biology of Plantago.- 2.1 Evolutionary Status.- 2.2 Biogeography and Human Effects.- 2.3 General Ecology.- 2.4 General Morphology.- 2.5 Flowering Biology.- 2.6 Breeding Systems in Plantago.- 2.7 Questions Arising from Variation in General Biology.- 3 Distribution of Plantago Species: Characterization of Sites.- 3.1 Phytosociology of Plantago Habitats in The Netherlands and the Relation with Habitat Characteristics.- 3.2 Chemical and Physical Characteristics of the Soil of Plantago Sites.- 3.3 Micrometeorological Characterization of Plantago Species.- 3.4 Interactions with Organisms Other than Plants.- 4 Ecology of Plantago Populations.- 4.1 The Demographic Structure of Populations.- 4.2 Germination and Establishment.- 4.3 Photosynthesis of Plantago lanceolata Populations in the Field.- 4.4 Nitrogen Nutrition in Plantago Species.- 5 Ecophysiology of Plantago Species.- 5.1 Carboxylate Production and Proton Excretion.- 5.2 Mineral Nutrient Concentrations in the Soil and in the Plant.- 5.3 Acquisition and Utilization of Nitrogen.- 5.4 Salinity and Plantago.- 5.5 Low Temperature Tolerance of Plantago coronopus and Plantago maritima as Affected by Salt (NaCl).- 5.6 Seed Germination of Plantago major ssp. major and Plantago lanceolata.- 5.7 Phenotypic Plasticity in Plantago Species.- 6 Genetic Variation Within Plantago Populations.- 6.1 Allozyme Variation and Genetic Structure in Plantago Species.- 6.2 Polymorphism for Caffeic Acid Esters in Populations of Plantago major ssp. pleiosperma.- 6.3 Selection for the Maintenance of Sex Polymorphism in Plantago.- 6.4 Gene Flow Characters and Population Structure in Plantago lanceolata.- 6.5 Ploidy Polymorphism in Plantago media and in Some Other Plantago Species.- 7 Genotypic and Phenotypic Variation Between Plantago Populations and the Relation with the Habitat.- 7.1 Phenotypic Plasticity in Plantago maritima.- 7.2 Ecotypic Differentiation in Plantago major.- 7.3 Ecotypic Differentiation in Plantago lanceolata.- 7.4 The Seed Bank in Relation to Distribution, Abundance and Life History of Plantago Species.- 8 Genetic Strategies in Plantago.- 8.1 The Genetics of Plantago Species.- 8.2 A Population Biological Model of Plantago major: an Attempt to Integrate Genetic, Demographic and Physiological Knowledge.- 9 Conclusions.- 9.1 Comparison of Species.- 9.2 Comparison of Populations.- 9.3 Comparison of Individual Plants and Subpopulations.- References.