Tubers and rhizome fragments as propagules: competence for vegetative reproduction in Equisetum arvense.

Rhizome fragments (referred to as "fragments") and tubers of Equisetum arvense L. were cultured in order to investigate their competence with respect to vegetative reproduction. The starch concentration of the fragments was lower than that of the tubers, but the initial growth of new individuals from these fragments was superior to that from tubers obtained from the same dry mass. This superior growth was due to the large number of buds (grown from nodes) and aerial shoots on the fragments. The competence for vegetative reproduction depended on the relationship between the stored starch and the number of buds.