Materials and methods
Study species
Abutilon theophrasti Medicus (Malvaceae) is an annual weedy
species, native to China and India. It usually grows to a height of up
to 1-1.5 m, and can reach reproductive maturity within 90 d, completing
its life cycles in ~5 mo
(McConnaughay & Coleman, 1999), with
substantial plasticity in allocation, morphology and architecture in
response to varying environmental factors
(McConnaughay & Bazzaz, 1992). It
colonizes relatively nutrient-rich habitats and is typically found in
open fields, on roadsides, and in gardens.