新疆策勒绿洲外围四种多年生植物的水分生理特征

对新疆策勒绿洲外围多年生植物胡杨、柽柳、沙拐枣和骆驼刺的水分生理特性进行了试验研究.结果表明：4种植物在生长季内没有受到严重的水分胁迫,灌溉对植物水分生理指标变化的影响不显著(P＞0.05).4种植物水分生理特性的季节变化各不相同.其中,骆驼刺的清晨水势和日均茎流量最高,但其平均水分利用效率最低;沙拐枣的平均水分利用效率最高,而且其清晨水势与日均茎流量的变化最为稳定,季节变幅不大;柽柳的清晨水势最低,具有较好的环境适应性;胡杨水分生理指标的季节变化相对平稳.在新疆策勒绿洲外围的极端干旱环境中,4种植物通过深根系和地下水相连接,并利用地下水来维持其生存与生长.     

沙漠-绿洲过渡带四种多年生植物水分关系特征

沙漠一绿洲过渡带地区植被的可持续性在防止绿洲沙漠化的过程中非常重要。对过渡带主要植物种骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifolia Shap)、多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima Lebed．)、胡杨(Populus euphratica Oliv．)和头状沙拐枣(Calligonum caputmedusae Schrenk．)水分关系的研究表明：4种植物的水分恢复状况良好,清晨水势一直较高,水分亏缺并不严重。渗透势和正午水势的降低幅度不大,变化比较平稳,更像是一种生长过程中的结果．植物的水分胁迫状况并不明显。4种植物的水势和渗透势都高于典型的荒漠植物,属于中生植物的范围。水分参数的变化显示在同样的环境节律下,四种植物在水分生理的变化特征上有一致性。一直很高的RWCp值表明植物不能适应剧烈的水分损失和较低的水分含量,植物需要稳定充足的水分供应来适应塔克拉玛干极端气候条件下的生长环境。植物对环境胁迫也有各自不同的生理适应特点,胡杨的△Ⅱ值大,能忍受较多的水分损失维持气孔的开放;骆驼刺的ψp值最高,水分亏缺的平衡与恢复效果明显;C4植物头状沙拐枣能维持较高的水势和渗透势,而盐土植物多枝柽柳能忍受水势的很大降低。夏季一次性灌溉对骆驼刺、多枝柽柳和胡杨水分状况的改善基本没有影响,对头状沙拐枣有一定的帮助。植物群落和地下水关系密切,过渡带地区地下水位稳定在植物可接触的范围内是保证植物长期存活的关键。4种植物对干旱胁迫的适应为躲避型。     

塔干南缘骆驼刺植被水分关系的研究

对塔克拉玛干沙漠--绿洲过渡带骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.)水分关系的研究表明:骆驼刺在夏季保持了正的膨压,一直较高较稳定的清晨水势说明植物水分恢复状况良好,植物得到了较好的水分供应;在7月,干旱胁迫造成的水分亏缺并未影响植株正常的蒸腾作用,因而干旱引起的水分胁迫并未威胁到植被的存在.骆驼刺对干旱胁迫的水分生理适应主要体现在叶水平上,表现为饱和枝条的渗透势(Πo)和膨压消失点的渗透势(Πp)的差值(ΔΠ)和相对含水量(RWC)在膨压消失点间更大的变化、渗透调节的产生、较高较稳定的饱和枝条水分与干物质之比(WCsat)和膨压消失点的相对含水量(RWCp),以及较低的共质体水在总水分中的相对含量(RWCsym).但形态学上的特征,主要表现为深而发达的根系和蒸腾面积的减少,才是骆驼刺适应极端干旱环境的主要途径.非定期的夏季一次性灌溉对地下水位很低地区的骆驼刺植被水分状况的恢复没有帮助.     

塔干南缘骆驼刺植被水分关系的研究

对塔克拉玛干沙漠———绿洲过渡带骆驼刺 (AlhagisparsifoliaShap .)水分关系的研究表明 :骆驼刺在夏季保持了正的膨压 ,一直较高较稳定的清晨水势说明植物水分恢复状况良好 ,植物得到了较好的水分供应 ;在 7月 ,干旱胁迫造成的水分亏缺并未影响植株正常的蒸腾作用 ,因而干旱引起的水分胁迫并未威胁到植被的存在。骆驼刺对干旱胁迫的水分生理适应主要体现在叶水平上 ,表现为饱和枝条的渗透势 (Πo)和膨压消失点的渗透势 (Πp)的差值 (ΔΠ)和相对含水量 (RWC)在膨压消失点间更大的变化、渗透调节的产生、较高较稳定的饱和枝条水分与干物质之比 (WCsat)和膨压消失点的相对含水量 (RWCp) ,以及较低的共质体水在总水分中的相对含量 (RWCsym)。但形态学上的特征 ,主要表现为深而发达的根系和蒸腾面积的减少 ,才是骆驼刺适应极端干旱环境的主要途径。非定期的夏季一次性灌溉对地下水位很低地区的骆驼刺植被水分状况的恢复没有帮助。     

4种荒漠植物气体交换特征的研究

 在自然条件下我们对塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘策勒绿洲边缘4种主要荒漠植物胡杨(Populus euphratica Oliv.)、沙拐枣(Calligonum caput_medusae Schrenk.)、骆驼刺(Alhagi sparsifolia B.Keller et Shap)和柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima Lbd.)的气体交换、水势及其δ13C的季节变化特征进行了比较研究。结果表明胡杨和沙拐枣气体交换日变化为单峰曲线,骆驼刺和柽柳为双峰曲线;其中骆驼刺属低光合低蒸腾型,WUEph最低,     

塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘柽柳和胡杨水势季节变化研究

对塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘的柽柳和胡杨生长周期内的清晨水势和水势日变化的连续野外测定表明,两种植物在整个生长期内均未出现明显的水分亏缺.清晨水势的季节变化幅度不大,正午水势有不同程度的降低;一次性人工灌溉对植物水分状况没有明显影响.采伐利用方式不影响植物的水分状况.地下水是柽柳和胡杨生存与生长的先决条件.维持该区域地下水位的基本稳定是保证该区域柽柳和胡杨恢复重建的重要前提.     

绿洲前沿地区多枝柽柳水分关系的特征及灌溉的影响

 对塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘策勒绿洲前沿地区多枝柽柳（Tamarix ramosissima）进行了研究,生长季节和灌溉前后水分关系的特征表明：多枝柽柳在生长季节保持了较高较稳定的清晨水势,植物能够平衡白天水分损失造成的水分亏缺,水分恢复状况良好。环境气候变化对渗透势等水分参数的影响不及植物水分恢复状况对它们的影响。除了个别数据,多枝柽柳水势和渗透势的降低幅度很小,更像是生长过程的结果,植物水分胁迫的特征并不明显。对比水分生理上对干旱胁迫的适应——渗透势的迅速降低和质外体水含量的增加,膨压消失点相对含水量(RWCp)和渗透势差值(ΔΠ)等参数显示的生理特征表明,植物更加依靠稳定充足的水分供应来适应生长环境中极端的高水压差和与此相应的高大气蒸发要求。与此适应,植物和地下水发生了联系,并且一次性灌溉对植物水分状况的恢复基本没有帮助,保持地下水位稳定在根系的可吸收范围内成为保护绿洲前沿多枝柽柳长期存在的关键。多枝柽柳的水分特征属于中生植物的范畴,对极端环境的适应属于躲避的类型。     

自然状况下头状沙拐枣对水分条件变化的响应

 对塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘沙漠-绿洲过渡带前沿人工植被头状沙拐枣(Calligonum caput-medusae)水分关系的研究表明：头状沙拐枣在生长季节中一直保持着正的膨压,水分亏缺的发展并不严重,植被所受水分胁迫在正常范围内,因而在现存条件下干旱引起的水分胁迫不足以威胁植被的存在。在生长进程中,随着环境胁迫的加剧,头状沙拐枣依然维持了比较高的水势和渗透势,实验结果也显示植株体内可溶性物质(NsDM)的累积程度并没有升高,因而其生理过程仍然在比较宽松的环境中进行。相对含水量（RWCp）在生长季节一直保持很高的水平,这对植株保持体内水分防止水分过度损失有利。头状沙拐枣在干旱胁迫下表现出的这些生理特点说明,植物对干旱环境的生理适应类型属于抵抗型。在叶水平上植株对干旱胁迫的水分生理适应主要表现为质外体水比例的增高,细胞壁弹性的增加,持续较高的相对含水量（RWCp）以及灌水后RWCp和枝条水分比值（WCsat）的增加上。夏季的引洪灌溉有助于头状沙拐枣水分状况的恢复,并很可能是植被免于严重水分胁迫的原因之一。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠公路防护林苗木对干旱胁迫的水分生理响应

以塔克拉玛干沙漠公路防护林的乔木状沙拐枣(Calligonum arborescens)、多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosis-sima)和梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)2年生苗木为材料,采用盆栽试验,设置10d(处理Ⅰ)、20d(处理Ⅱ)和40d(处理Ⅲ)的自然干旱胁迫周期,探讨其不同干旱处理下的水分生理特征及其耐旱性。结果表明:(1)3种苗木的水势均随着干旱胁迫程度增强而降低,水势最大降幅均在第2个干旱处理周期内,在第3个干旱处理周期内水势有较大回升,且以乔木状沙拐枣水势最高,梭梭水势最低。(2)乔木状沙拐枣的PV水分参数均随着干旱胁迫强度的增强而降低,其渗透势在第3个干旱周期内开始回升,而初始质壁分离的相对含水量(RWCtlp)一直呈降低趋势,质外体水分含量(AWC)呈现出"降-升-降"的波动状态。乔木状沙拐枣的耐旱能力随着干旱胁迫程度的增强变化不明显,它主要通过减少水分散失适应干旱环境。(3)多枝柽柳的PV水分参数在处理Ⅰ和处理Ⅱ之间差别很小,处理Ⅲ第60天就枯亡;其Ψsat和Ψtlp在第1个干旱周期降低,第2个干旱周期开始回升,而其AWC随胁迫时间在不断增大;多枝柽柳的耐旱能力随着干旱的增强急剧降低,耐旱性最差,它主要通过增加水分散失适应干旱环境。(4)梭梭的Ψsat和Ψtlp在处理Ⅱ、Ⅲ之间非常接近,且都低于处理Ⅰ,RWCtlp与AWC随着干旱强度增强而增大,同期处理Ⅱ和Ⅲ的AWC都高于处理Ⅰ。梭梭的耐旱能力随着干旱的增强不断增强,它通过增加体内水分含量,减少水分散失应对干旱胁迫。(5)3种植物的耐旱能力强弱为:梭梭>乔木状沙拐枣>多枝柽柳,所以梭梭最适合做沙漠防护林树种。     

干旱区五种木本植物枝叶水分状况与其抗旱性能

用压力-容积(PV曲线)法测定了柽柳、梭梭、胡杨、沙枣和花棒等5种干旱区木本植物的水分参数,同时用TPS-1型光合蒸腾测定系统、压力室和露点微伏压计测定了其叶片(同化枝)的蒸腾速率、枝叶水势和渗透势,并结合持水力和枝叶相对含水量等的测定结果,分析了5种木本植物枝叶水分状况与其抗旱性能的关系.结果表明:PV曲线水分参数虽然在一定程度上反映了植物组织内部的水分状况和抗旱潜力,但依据不同参数分析得出的不同植物抗旱性有所不同,有的甚至相反;以PV曲线水分参数为依据利用隶属函数法计算的综合抗旱性指数显示5种木本植物抗旱性能并无显著差异.而综合PV曲线水分参数和蒸腾速率、枝叶水势、渗透势等实测水分指标计算的综合抗旱性能指数则较好地显示了5种木本植物的综合抗旱性能的强弱,即第1层次梭梭抗旱性最强,第2层次是柽柳,第3层次是沙枣、花棒和胡杨,其中又以胡杨综合抗旱能力最差.由此可见,采用PV曲线水分参数和实测水分指标进行综合评价能够较好地评定植物的抗旱性能.     

西鄂尔多斯地区强旱生小灌木的水分参数

应用PV技术研究了西鄂尔多斯地区绵刺、红沙、四合木和霸王柴4种超旱生灌木的水分关系参数膨压(ψ_P)、细胞弹性模量(ε)、细胞体积比(RCV)及其相互关系.结果表明：在4种荒漠旱生灌木中,红沙保持最大膨压的能力最强(a=2.4593).不同荒漠旱生灌木保持膨压的方式不同：绵刺通过弹性调节保持膨压(ε_max=8.4005 MPa);红沙通过渗透调节来保持膨压(ψ_π100=-3.1302 MPa;ψ₀=-3.5074 MPa);四合木通过渗透调节和弹性调节的协同作用来维持膨压;霸王柴通过渗透调节来保持膨压,而弹性调节能力较弱.绵刺具有柔软而高弹性的细胞壁,是构成其根茎系统快速吸收和传导水分能力的因素之一.四合木具有较柔软而高弹性的细胞壁且ψ_P的变化随RCV减小而趋于缓慢,说明四合木具有较强的持水能力和抗脱水能力.     

Evidence on the mechanism of enhanced sucrose uptake at low cell turgor in leaf discs of Phaseolus coccinius

Plants often tolerate water deficits by lowering the osmotic potential of their cell sap. This may be achieved by accumulation of solutes which results in the maintenance of a positive turgor potential. In this study, the effect of water deficit on sugar uptake was investigated in leaf discs of Phaseolus coccinius L. (cv. Scarlet). Evidence is presented that cell turgor affects the kinetics of sugar transport at the membrane level. Uptake kinetics of sucrose, glucose and 3-O-methyl glucose by tissues equilibrated in solutions of relatively high (200–400 mOsm) osmotic concentration consisted of a sat-urable and a linear component. Low external osmotic concentration i.e., high cellular turgor inhibited the saturating component of sucrose uptake, resulting in a linear uptake profile. However, high cell turgor had no effect on glucose or 3-O-methyl glucose uptake kinetics. The effect of turgor versus osmotic component of water potential was differentiated by comparing responses to non-penetrating (manmtol) or polyethylene glycol, (3350) and penetrating (ethylene glycal) osmotica. Changes in sucrose uptake rates and kinetics were due to changes in cellular turgor and not osmotic potential. Furthermore, at low cellular turgor, a net increase in sucrose uptake occurred as a consequence of enhanced influx rates and not as a result of reduced efflux rates. The data are consistent with previous findings that sugar uptake rates are enhanced under low turgor. We present first evidence indicating that the mechanism by which higher rates of sucrose uptake are maintained underwater deficit conditions is by the activation of the saturable transport system. This mechanism supports previous suggestions that changes in cell turgor are sensed and manifested at the membrane level.     

Effects of water stress on the water relations of Phaseolus vulgaris and the drought resistant Phaseolus acutifolius

The tepary bean ( Phaseolus acutifolius Gray var. latifolius ), a drought resistant species, was compared under water stress conditions with the more drought susceptible P. vulgaris L. cvs Pinto and White Half Runner (WHR). In order to better understand the basis for the superior drought resistance of tepary, this study was designed to determine the relationships among leaf water potential, osmotic potential, turgor potential, and relative water content (RWC).
Plants were prestressed by withholding irrigation water. These stress pretreatments changed the relation between leaf water potential and relative water content of both species so that prestressed plants had lower water potentials than controls at the same leaf RWC. Tepary had lower water potentials at given RWC levels than Pinto or WHR; this can account for part of the superior resistance of tepary. In all genotypes, prestressed plants maintained osmotic potentials approximately 0.2 MPa lower than controls. Tepary reached osmotic potentials that were significantly lower (0.15 to 0.25 MPa) than Pinto or WHR. Both control and prestressed tepary plants had 0.05 to 0.25 MPa more turgor than Pinto or WHR at RWC values between 65 and 80%. Both prestressed and control tepary plants had greater elasticity (a lower elastic modulus) than Pinto or WHR. This greater turgor of tepary at low RWC values could be caused by several factors including greater tissue elasticity, active accumulation of solutes, or greater solute concentration.
Tepary had significantly lower osmotic potentials than the P. vulgaris cultivars, but there was little difference in osmotic potential between Pinto and WHR. Knowledge of differences in osmotic and turgor potentials among and within species could be useful in breeding for drought resistance in Phaseolus.     

Critical Water Potential for Stomatal Closure in Sitka Spruce

Steady state rates of net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance at high water potentials were measured under controlled conditions in a leaf chamber on Sitka spruce [Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.] shoots detached from the forest canopy or on seedlings. The water supply to the seedlings was terminated by excision and the shoot water potential (or critical water potential) and osmotic potential at the onset of stomatal closure measured. The turgor potential was calculated. The initial osmotic potential before insertion of the shoot into the chamber was also measured. Shoot water potential and osmotic potential at stomatal closure, and initial osmotic potential were significantly higher (less negative) in foliage from the lowest level in the canopy compared with foliage in the upper canopy, and higher in shoots of seedlings transferred to low light than in those at high light. Critical water potential also varied with season, being higher in July than in October and November. In all except one instance, turgor potential at the onset of stomatal closure was negative, possibly because of dilution of the cell sap by the extracellular water during the estimate of osmotic potential. Over all the experiments variation in critical water potential was correlated with variation in critical osmotic potential and, to a lesser extent, the initial osmotic potential. However, turgor potential at the critical potential varied from +0.6 to -4.6 bar. This suggests that difference in turgor between the guard cells and subsidiary cells, which controls stomatal aperture, is only loosely coupled with the bulk leaf turgor and hence that bulk leaf turgor is not a good index of the turbor relations of the guard cells.     

Cell water potential,osmotic potential,and turgor in the epidermis and mesophyll of transpiring leaves

Water potential, osmotic potential and turgor measurements obtained by using a cell pressure probe together with a nanoliter osmometer were compared with measurements obtained with an isopiestic psychrometer. Both types of measurements were conducted in the mature region of Tradescantia virginiana L. leaves under non-transpiring conditions in the dark, and gave similar values of all potentials. This finding indicates that the pressure probe and the osmometer provide accurate measurements of turgor, osmotic potentials and water potentials. Because the pressure probe does not require long equilibration times and can measure turgor of single cells in intact plants, the pressure probe together with the osmometer was used to determine in-situ cell water potentials, osmotic potentials and turgor of epidermal and mesophyll cells of transpiring leaves as functions of stomatal aperture and xylem water potential. When the xylem water potential was-0.1 MPa, the stomatal aperture was at its maximum, but turgor of both epidermal and mesophyll cells was relatively low. As the xylem water potential decreased, the stomatal aperture became gradually smaller, whereas turgor of both epidermal and mesophyll cells first increased and afterward decreased. Water potentials of the mesophyll cells were always lower than those of the epidermal cells. These findings indicate that evaporation of water is mainly occurring from mesophyll cells and that peristomatal transpiration could be less important than it has been proposed previously, although peristomatal transpiration may be directly related to regulation of turgor in the guard cells.     

Rehydration-induced changes in pressure-volume relationships of Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. tridentata

Abstract. Pressure-volume measurements were made on Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. tridentata samples rehydrated for 0, 1.5, 3, 6 or 24 h. Increasing rehydration time caused a significant increase in osmotic potential at turgor loss, cell elasiticity, and the relative water content at turgor loss, and a significant decrease in pressure potential at saturation. Osmotic potential at saturation was changed significantly by rehydration, but no consistent trend was observed. The symplastic water fraction did not differ significantly among treatments. The increase in the osmotic potential at turgor loss did not correspond with decreasing cell elasticity or synthesis of solutes. Instead, the leaf solute content remained constant suggesting a redistribution of solutes between the symplast and apoplast. Using non-rehydrated samples for pressure-volume analysis introduced errors in estimates of the symplastic water fraction, osmotic potential at full turgor, and the relative water content at turgor loss. These errors are due to uncertainties in the determination of saturated weights.     

Chloroplast response to low leaf water potentials: I. Role of turgor

The effect of decreases in turgor on chloroplast activity was studied by measuring the photochemical activity of intact sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. cv. Russian Mammoth) leaves having low water potentials. Leaf turgor, calculated from leaf water potential and osmotic potential, was found to be affected by the dilution of cell contents by water in the cell walls, when osmotic potentials were measured with a thermocouple psychrometer. After the correction of measurements of leaf osmotic potential, both the thermocouple psychrometer and a pressure chamber indicated that turgor became zero in sunflower leaves at leaf water potentials of −10 bars. Since most of the loss in photochemical activity occurred at water potentials below −10 bars, it was concluded that turgor had little effect on the photochemical activity of the leaves.     

The relative contribution of elastic and osmotic adjustments to turgor maintenance of woody species.

To determine how tissue water relations vary and contribute to turgor maintenance in species from contrasting ecological zones, seedlings of jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.), black spruce ( Picea mariana [Mill] B.S.P.) and flooded gum ( Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden) were subjected to an 8 day drought stress by water withholding with and without prior mild water stress conditioning. Jack pine, a deep-rooted species from dry, sandy boreal sites, lost turgor at the lowest relative water content (75–65%) and water potential, and had lowest maximum bulk elastic modulus (E_max of 5.2–5.8 MPa). Although this suggests a high inherent dehydration tolerance, jack pine did not further adjust its elasticity when repeatedly stressed. Black spruce, a shallow-rooted species from predominantly moist sites in the boreal region, lost turgor at intermediate relative water content (86–76%) and water potential, but could adjust its elasticity to maintain turgor in repeatedly stressed tissues. Flooded gum, a deep-rooted species from moist, warm temperate-subtropical regions, had a low inherent drought tolerance since it lost turgor at higher relative water content (88–84%) and water potential, but was capable of some adjustment when the stress was repeated. Elastic adjustment (<3.7 MPa) was more important for turgor maintenance than osmotic adjustment (<0.13 MPa), which was statistically nonsignificant. Maximum bulk modulus of elasticity, but not osmotic potentials at full turgor, was significantly correlated with the relative water content and water potential at zero turgor in droughted seedlings. These results highlight the importance of tissue shrinkage for dehydration tolerance. Both the inherent capacity for turgor maintenance of a species under drought and its ability to adjust to repeated drought should be considered in genetic selections for drought tolerance.     

Plasticity of vulnerability to leaf hydraulic dysfunction during acclimation to drought in grapevines: an osmotic‐mediated process

Previous studies have reported correlation of leaf hydraulic vulnerability with pressure–volume parameters related to cell turgor. This link has been explained on the basis of the effects of turgor on connectivity among cells and tissue structural integrity, which affect leaf water transport. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that osmotic adjustment to water stress would shift the leaf vulnerability curve toward more negative water potential (Ψ_leaf) by increasing turgor at low Ψ_leaf. We measured leaf hydraulic conductance (K_leaf), K_leaf vulnerability [50 and 80% loss of K_leaf (P₅₀ and P₈₀); |Ψ_leaf| at 50 and 80% loss of K_leaf, respectively), bulk leaf water relations, leaf gas exchange and sap flow in two Vitis vinifera cultivars (Tempranillo and Grenache), under two water treatments. We found that P₅₀, P₈₀ and maximum K_leaf decreased seasonally by more than 20% in both cultivars and watering treatments. However, K_leaf at ?2 MPa increased threefold, while osmotic potential at full turgor and turgor loss point decreased. Our results indicate that leaf resistance to hydraulic dysfunction is seasonally plastic, and this plasticity may be mediated by osmotic adjustment.     

Water potentials induced by growth in soybean hypocotyls

Gradients in water potential form the driving force for the movement of water for cell enlargement. In stems, they are oriented radially around the vascular system but should also be present along the stem. To test this possibility, growth, water potential, osmotic potential, and turgor were determined at intervals along the length of dark-grown soybean (Glycine max L. Merr., cv. Wayne) hypocotyls. Transpiration was negligible in the dark, humid conditions, so that all water uptake was for growth. Elongation occurred in the terminal 1.5 centimeters of the hypocotyl. Water potential was −3.5 bars in the elongating region but −0.5 bar in the mature region, both in intact plants and detached tissue. There was a gradual transition between these values that was related to the growth profile along the hypocotyl. Tissue osmotic potentials generally paralleled tissue water potentials, so that turgor was the same throughout the length of the hypocotyl. If the elongating zone was excised, growth ceased immediately. If the elongating zone was excised along with mature tissue, however, growth continued, which confirmed the presence of a water-potential gradient that caused longitudinal water movement from the mature zone to the elongating zone. When the plants were grown in vermiculite having low water potentials, tissue water potentials and osmotic potentials both decreased, so that water potential gradients and turgor remained undiminished. It is concluded that growth-induced water potentials reflect the local activity for cell enlargement and are supported by appropriate osmotic potentials.