Intrapopulational variability in the response to nutrient addition was studied in plants of the widespread annual weedChenopodium albumL. Five seed "families" (each the progeny of a single individual) were selected at random from a natural population, and the germinated seeds were grown for two generations with either a high or a low nutrient supply. Sequential harvests were performed in which we measured plant height, total biomass, leaf area, root/shoot ratios, and reproductive characteristics for each plant. The data were analysed with two- or three-way analysis of variance. The response to nutrient treatments varied among families and depended on both the particular trait considered and the stage of development. Maternal environment affected plant growth especially when the offspring was grown at low nutrient levels. Seed germination varied significantly according to both the maternal and the grand-maternal nutrient environment. The results show a high plasticity in the response to nutrient levels and the persistence of environmental effects for more than one generation.Key words:Chenopodium album, nutrients, maternal effects, phenotypic plasticity.