SURVIVAL OF VERATRUM-VIRIDE, A ROBUST HERBACEOUS PLANT, WHEN BURIED BY VOLCANIC TEPHRA

Veratrum viride plants that survived burial by 12-18 cm of tephra from Mount St. Helens [Washington, USA], in 1980 were experimentally buried 20-50 cm deeper in 1982. Burial of dormant plants by an additional 40 cm of tephra prevented most shoot development, but only reduced survival by half when shoots were already emerging at the time of burial.