Growth of Rumex acetosella, a root sprouting plant, was studied in an outside pot experiment. Each plant of R. acetosella consisted of two ramets which were interconnected by a root about 9 cm long. One of the ramets was placed in a compartment with nutrient-rich soil, the other with nutrient-poor. The root connection between the ramets was either remained intact or severed at the nutrient interface after planting. Growth of new roots was prevented at the nutrient interface.
The presence of a connection between the ramets did not affect biomass and number of shoots in either soil compartment, indicating a poor integration of the interconnected plant systems. In the nutrient-rich environment, two to four times more shoots and biomass were produced than under nutrient shortage. A large proportion of buds initiated on roots remained dormant, forming a bud bank. When the number of shoots or buds was recalculated per g of root dry weight or per m of root length, the nutrient response disappeared or, in a few cases, a significant effect in the opposite direction was obtained. These results show that accumulation of the buds and shoots in the nutrient-rich environment was caused by an allometric relationship between root biomass and the number of buds and shoots initiated on the roots.