Xylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw

dc.contributor.authorSherwin, Heather W
dc.contributor.authorPammenter, N W
dc.contributor.authorFebruary, E D
dc.contributor.authorVander Willigen, Clare
dc.contributor.authorFarrant, Jill M
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-05T09:22:11Z
dc.date.available2016-08-05T09:22:11Z
dc.date.issued1998
dc.date.updated2016-08-01T08:49:59Z
dc.description.abstractMyrothamnus flabellifolius Welw. is a desiccation-tolerant (‘ resurrection’) plant with a woody stem. Xylem vessels are narrow (14 µm mean diameter) and perforation plates are reticulate. This leads to specific and leaf specific hydraulic conductivities that are amongst the lowest recorded for angiosperms (ks 0±87 kg m−" MPa−" s−"; kl 3±28¬10−& kg m−" MPa−" s−", stem diameter 3 mm). Hydraulic conductivities decrease with increasing pressure gradient. Transpiration rates in well watered plants were moderate to low, generating xylem water potentials of ®1 to ®2 MPa. Acoustic emissions indicated extensive cavitation events that were initiated at xylem water potentials of ®2 to ®3 MPa. The desiccation-tolerant nature of the tissue permits this species to survive this interruption of the water supply. On rewatering the roots pressures that were developed were low (2±4 kPa). However capillary forces were demonstrated to be adequate to account for the refilling of xylem vessels and re-establishment of hydraulic continuity even when water was under a tension of ®8 kPa. During dehydration and rehydration cycles stems showed considerable shrinking and swelling. Unusual knob-like structures of unknown chemical composition were observed on the outer surface of xylem vessels. These may be related to the ability of the stem to withstand the mechanical stresses associated with this shrinkage and swelling.en_ZA
dc.identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1006/anbo.1998.0590
dc.identifier.apacitationSherwin, H. W., Pammenter, N. W., February, E. D., Vander Willigen, C., & Farrant, J. M. (1998). Xylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw. <i>Annals of Botany</i>, http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21129en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSherwin, Heather W, N W Pammenter, E D February, Clare Vander Willigen, and Jill M Farrant "Xylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw." <i>Annals of Botany</i> (1998) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21129en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSHERWIN, H. W., Pammenter, N. W., February, E. D., VANDER WILLIGEN, C. L. A. R. E., & FARRANT, J. M. (1998). Xylem Hydraulic Characteristics, Water Relations and Wood Anatomy of the Resurrection PlantMyrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw. Annals of Botany, 81(4), 567-575.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0305-7364en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Journal Article AU - Sherwin, Heather W AU - Pammenter, N W AU - February, E D AU - Vander Willigen, Clare AU - Farrant, Jill M AB - Myrothamnus flabellifolius Welw. is a desiccation-tolerant (‘ resurrection’) plant with a woody stem. Xylem vessels are narrow (14 µm mean diameter) and perforation plates are reticulate. This leads to specific and leaf specific hydraulic conductivities that are amongst the lowest recorded for angiosperms (ks 0±87 kg m−" MPa−" s−"; kl 3±28¬10−& kg m−" MPa−" s−", stem diameter 3 mm). Hydraulic conductivities decrease with increasing pressure gradient. Transpiration rates in well watered plants were moderate to low, generating xylem water potentials of ®1 to ®2 MPa. Acoustic emissions indicated extensive cavitation events that were initiated at xylem water potentials of ®2 to ®3 MPa. The desiccation-tolerant nature of the tissue permits this species to survive this interruption of the water supply. On rewatering the roots pressures that were developed were low (2±4 kPa). However capillary forces were demonstrated to be adequate to account for the refilling of xylem vessels and re-establishment of hydraulic continuity even when water was under a tension of ®8 kPa. During dehydration and rehydration cycles stems showed considerable shrinking and swelling. Unusual knob-like structures of unknown chemical composition were observed on the outer surface of xylem vessels. These may be related to the ability of the stem to withstand the mechanical stresses associated with this shrinkage and swelling. DA - 1998 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town J1 - Annals of Botany LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1998 SM - 0305-7364 T1 - Xylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw TI - Xylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21129 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/21129
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSherwin HW, Pammenter NW, February ED, Vander Willigen C, Farrant JM. Xylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelw. Annals of Botany. 1998; http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21129.en_ZA
dc.languageengen_ZA
dc.publisherOxford University Pressen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.sourceAnnals of Botanyen_ZA
dc.source.urihttp://aob.oxfordjournals.org/
dc.subject.otherCavitation
dc.subject.otherDesiccation
dc.subject.otherHydraulic conductivity
dc.subject.otherRefilling
dc.subject.otherResurrection plant
dc.titleXylem hydraulic characteristics, water relations and wood anatomy of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifoliusWelwen_ZA
dc.typeJournal Articleen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceArticleen_ZA
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