Population structure and reproductive strategy of two multiple-stemmed rattans of Côte d'Ivoire

Life history evolution is an important field of modern ecology (Stearns 1992, Begon et al. 2006). A useful approach is to compare the life histories of related organisms to determine how evolution has shaped the relation between different life-history traits. In this context palms are suitable models to study perennial plant demography and life-history (Barot & Gignoux 1999) because they are monocotyledonous that generally do not branch aerially. Consequently, it is easy to define, observe, and record stages based on morphological traits for palm trees. However, some palm species are able to generate several ramets (stems) from the same rhizome (De Granville 1977). So far this type of clonal behavior has not been frequently studied.