Importance of clonal reproduction in a liana species, Wisteria floribunda

Clonal reproduction is a common and important life history strategy in lianas. Mori et al. investigate clonal structure in a temperate deciduous liana species, Wisteria floribunda (Fabaceae), in its natural habitat (an old-growth forest) using microsatellite markers.

They find high contribution of clonal reproduction to the abundance and basal area of W. floribunda. Clonal reproduction is reduced on steeper slopes. The results indicate that clonal reproduction plays an important role not only in forming a population but also in determining the distribution patterns of liana species.