Evaluación de la tolerancia al cobre de dos poblaciones de Oenothera picensis Phil. subsp. picensis (Onagraceae)

Abstract

Oenothera picensis Phil. subsp. picensis can grow in soils that have been contaminated with copper from the metal smeltingindustry in central Chile, presenting characteristics that make it a candidate for phytoremediation processes. In order toknow the real tolerance and capacity for copper extraction and to identify whether this characteristic is present solelyin the exposed population, a hydroponic test was carried out using two populations of O. picensis, originated from LosMaitenes and Maitencillo, areas with high and normal Cu concentrations in the soil, respectively. The plants were exposedto copper concentration in solution between 0 and 0.16 mM, for one month. The plants presented symptoms of toxicityat 0.04 mM of Cu in the solution, without significant differences in the tolerance of both populations. The shoot copperconcentrations observed in O. picensis reached the maximum of 1660±857 mg kg-1, in the treatment of 0.16 mM of Cu inthe solution. However, in this treatment, the plant presented severe toxicity symptoms. Thus, it is not possible to classify itas a hyperaccumulating species.