Photosynthetica X:X | DOI: 10.32615/ps.2026.026

The tolerance of Sphagneticola trilobata and its hybrid to cadmium stress

Q.L. ZHANG1, 2, Y. WANG3, G.X. CHEN3, X.W. ZHENG3, N. WANG4
1 School of Urban and Rural Construction, Fuyang Institute of Technology, 236031 Fuyang, China
2 Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, 510520 Guangzhou, China
3 School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, 510631 Guangzhou, China
4 School of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, 236037 Fuyang, China

During the invasion process, Sphagneticola trilobata produced a hybrid with native species. In this study, the adaptability of S. trilobata and its hybrid was investigated under cadmium (Cd) stress. Results showed that the net photosynthetic rate and maximum quantum yield of PSII photochemistry of S. trilobata leaves were significantly lower than those in the hybrid, while malondialdehyde and electrolyte leakage were significantly higher than those in the hybrid. The accumulation of Cd in the hybrid was significantly higher than that in S. trilobata, and more active detoxification strategies were shown in the hybrid. The antioxidant enzyme activity in the hybrid was significantly higher than that in S. trilobata. Compared with S. trilobata, more Cd was accumulated in the cell walls and transformed into less toxic chemical forms in the hybrid. The results indicate that hybridization of S. trilobata with native species during invasion enhances the adaptability of the hybrid to Cd stress.

Additional key words: adaptability; antioxidant; biological invasion; heavy metals; photosynthesis.

Received: May 11, 2026; Revised: August 15, 2026; Accepted: August 27, 2026; Prepublished online: September 10, 2026 

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