Interspecific differences in radial oxygen loss from the roots of three Typha species

A comparison was made of the radial oxygen loss (ROL) from the roots of three Typha species, Typha latifolia L., Typha orientalis Presl and Typha angustifolia L., which resemble each other in morphology. ROLs were evaluated in the laboratory for seedlings of T. orientalis and T. angustifolia in order to compare them with the ROL value for T. latifolia obtained in our previous study. Measurements were conducted using the highly oxygen-sensitive anthraquinone radical anion as an oxygen indicator, which enabled us to simulate the natural conditions in which the oxygen released from the root is immediately consumed by the soil. Among the three Typha species, the ROL was the highest in T. angustifolia, followed by T. latifolia and T. orientalis. Illumination significantly enhances the ROL of T. orientalis, and this effect was also observed for T. latifolia in our previous study, whereas it did not affect the ROL of T. angustifolia. These results indicate that ROL differs significantly between species, even among members of the same genus that are similar in morphology.