Adaptation to seasonal drought in two closely related species of Neotropical Costus (Costaceae)

Abstract

Seasonal drought has been shown to greatly influence the distributions and species composition of plants in tropical rain forests. By conducting a series of field, greenhouse, and growth chamber experiments, we examined how Costus villosissimus, a forest edge species, has adapted to drought and differentiated from C.\xa0allenii, its closely related species in the understory. We hypothesize that delayed seed germination and high drought tolerance may lead to habitat differentiation and thus reproductive isolation between closely related plant species in the tropics. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.