A new species of Convolutriloba Hendelberg & Akesson, 1988, collected from an aquarium in Marietta, Georgia, USA, and cultured at the University of Georgia comprises exceptionally large individuals, up to 10 mm in length. Like other members of the genus, Convolutriloba macropyga sp. nov. reproduces asexually and possesses symbiotic zoochlorellae, but it also routinely reproduces sexually, laying relatively large eggs that hatch into aposymbiotic juveniles with a statocyst and frontal organ ( which are absent in the adults). C. macropyga has a narrow tolerance for extremes of temperature and salinity: it cannot survive outside of a temperature range of 18–28 degrees C and suffers 50% lethality at salinity as low as 24 ppt and as high as 44 ppt. It cannot survive total darkness for longer than 23–26 days, even with prey provided, suggesting an obligate symbiosis with its algal endosymbiont. A method for inducing sexual reproduction in other convolutrilobids is presented, as are suggestions for successful shipping of these acoels.

An analysis of the relationships between plant size and survivorship and reproductive success was carried out by sampling four populations of the herbaceous perennial milkweed Asclepias exaltata in Virginia from 1980 to 1982. The annual survivorship rate (about 65%) is the lowest measured for any species of Asclepias. Survivorship was strongly size-dependent but showed no clear relationship with previous history of fruit production. Non-flowering plants were significantly smaller than flowering plants and showed very strong (r > 0.87) correlations between root dry weight and stem or leaf dry weight. Flowering plants were similar to nonflowering plants in root: shoot ratio (approximately 1:1) but differed in that root dry weight was not strongly correlated with stem or leaf dry weight. Components of inflorescence size were strongly correlated within a given level of comparison (e.g., stems per plant with flowers per plant) but less strongly correlated between levels (e.g., stems per plant with flowers per stem). Number of fruits per plant and percentage fruit-set were positively correlated with every component of inflorescence size. Although overall fruit-set was low (about 2%), fruits that were initiated had a high probability of surviving to maturity. There was no evidence of an early period of high fruit abortion: a relatively constant proportion of fruits aborted between each age class.

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An analysis of the relationships between plant size and survivorship and reproductive success was carried out by sampling four populations of the herbaceous perennial milkweed Asclepias exaltata in Virginia from 1980 to 1982. The annual survivorship rate (about 65%) is the lowest measured for any species of Asclepias. Survivorship was strongly size‐dependent but showed no clear relationship with previous history of fruit production. Non‐flowering plants were significantly smaller than flowering plants and showed very strong (r > 0.87) correlations between root dry weight and stem or leaf dry weight. Flowering plants were similar to nonflowering plants in root: shoot ratio (approximately 1:1) but differed in that root dry weight was not strongly correlated with stem or leaf dry weight. Components of inflorescence size were strongly correlated within a given level of comparison (e.g., stems per plant with flowers per plant) but less strongly correlated between levels (e.g., stems per plant with flowers per stem). Number of fruits per plant and percentage fruit‐set were positively correlated with every component of inflorescence size. Although overall fruit‐set was low (about 2%), fruits that were initiated had a high probability of surviving to maturity. There was no evidence of an early period of high fruit abortion: a relatively constant proportion of fruits aborted between each age class.