Tall Goldenrod (<i>Solidago altissima</i>) (IMAGE)
Caption
Plants employ a large arsenal of defenses against natural enemies. The most familiar defenses are chemicals, such as alkaloids, or mechanical structures, such as thorns and trichomes. In their studies of goldenrods, Michael Wise and colleagues have identified a novel defense in which plants essentially duck their apex to hide from would-be herbivores. Most individuals of tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) have erect stems from emergence to senescence, but some individuals temporarily nod in early spring, effectively hiding their apical-leaf bud when apex-attacking herbivores are on-the-wing. These herbivores include the familiar ball-gall-making fly, Eurosta solidaginis, pictured here. The short-lived adults do not feed, and a female’s main task after mating is to lay eggs in as many apical-leaf buds as it can. This female gall fly sits on a leaf near the top of the plant, seemingly oblivious to the nodding apical-leaf bud just centimeters below. Goldenrod individuals with nodding stems (aka, “candy-cane” stems) have proven much less likely to suffer ovipositions from gall-inducing insects than individuals with erect stems. Thus, “defense by ducking” appears to be an effective strategy in S. altissima, and it is likely to turn out to be important in other species as well.
Credit
Courtesy of Michael Wise.
Usage Restrictions
Cite credit line and original publication in AJB.
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