Intraspecific and interspecific interactions mediated by a phytotoxin, (-)-catechin, secreted by the roots of Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed).

Centarea maculosa Lam. (spotted knapweed) is one of the most destructive invasive weeds in the western United States, particularly in pastures and rangelands. One of the components that may contribute to its invasiveness is the naturally produced, root-secreted allelochemical (-)-catechin. This compound has been shown to have broad-spectrum phytotoxic activity, possibly assisting C. maculosa in displacing native plant communities. As a recently characterized phytochemical, little is known about the specific effect of (-)-catechin on either C. maculosa or other plant species. We have found that, in vitro, C. maculosa begins to secrete phytotoxic levels of (-)-catechin within 2-3 weeks of seedling emergence. Furthermore, (-)-catechin concentrations consistent with those naturally secreted by C. maculosa were sufficient to inhibit germination in all species tested, including C. maculosa. These concentrations were also often either phytotoxic or growth inhibitory to seedlings in a range of plant species, while having no negative effects on the growth of C. maculosa seedlings. However, our results also indicate that different levels of resistance and susceptibility to (-)-catechin exist in plant populations, suggesting that the capability of C. maculosa to invade an area through allelochemistry may be dependent on the age and species composition of plants in that area.