Marginal and laminar hydathode-like structures in the leaves of the desiccation-tolerant angiosperm Myrothamnus flabellifolius Welw.

The fan-shaped leaves of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolius Welw. fold during episodes of drought and consequent desiccation of the tissue. The leaf teeth of M. flabellifolius have several features characteristic of hydathodes. Tracheary elements from the three vein endings that converge in each leaf tooth subtend and extend into a cluster of cells significantly smaller than those of the adjacent mesophyll. The stomata overlying this putative epithem are larger than the other stomata on the leaf surface. Crystal violet is absorbed via these stomata in non-transpiring leaves, suggesting that they are water pores. Two to four such water pores occur per hydathode and are readily distinguished in desiccated leaves. Laminar hydathodes apparently also occur in the leaves of M. flabellifolius. Branched vein endings that terminate in short, wide tracheary elements subtend the outer edges of the abaxial leaf ridge, which otherwise lack stomata, and coincide with regions of crystal violet uptake. Guttation could not be induced in M. flabellifolius. However, desiccated leaves readily absorb liquid water through the leaf surface. The use of Calcafluor White to trace the pathway of apoplastic water movement suggests a role for both types of hydathode in foliar water uptake during rehydration while the accumulation of Sulphorhodamine G (indicating solute retrieval from the apoplast) in the epithem of transpiring plants suggests the hydathodes may be a pathway of water loss in the desiccating leaf.     

Leaf Epidermal Hydathodes and the Ecophysiological Consequences of Foliar Water Uptake in Species of Crassula from the Namib Desert in Southern Africa

Abstract: Epidermal hydathodes were found on leaves of 46 of 48 species of Crassula collected from the Namib Desert in southern Africa. The possibility that these structures might allow the absorption of surface water was investigated in 27 species (including subspecies). The presence of hydathodes on leaf epidermi correlated, in most cases, with increases in leaf thickness and enhanced rates of nocturnal, and sometimes diurnal, CO₂ uptake following wetting of the leaves during the night. The precise nature of these responses varied depending on the species. In addition, wetting only the older leaves on the lower portion of the shoot of C. tetragona ssp. acutifolia not only resulted in increased thickness of these leaves, but also effected an increase in leaf thickness and stimulation of CO₂ uptake rates in the distal, younger portion of the shoot that was not wetted. Overall, foliar hydathodes were implicated in the absorption of surface water in many species of Crassula such that the ecophysiology of these desert succulents was positively affected. Although rainfall in the Namib Desert is infrequent, surface wetting of the leaves is a more common occurrence as a result of nighttime dew or fog deposition. Presumably, species with hydathodes benefit directly from this source of moisture. These findings have important implications in understanding a relatively unexplored adaptation of some xerophytes to an extremely arid environment.     

Laminar hydathodes inUrticaceae: Survey of tribes and anatomical observations onPilea pumila andUrtica dioica

Laminar hydathodes are known from only three dicot families. InUrticaceae they are associated with minor vein junctions in all five tribes, as surveyed from cleared leaves of 43 species in 30 genera. Only one species lacked hydathodes. Exclusively adaxial hydathodes were found in 28 genera. In tribeElatostemeae, laminar hydathodes inPilea andPellionia species are abaxial, adaxial, or on both surfaces. Guttation was observed in four species.Urtica dioica (adaxial) andPilea pumila (abaxial) were studied anatomically in detail. Hydathodes in the former have normal bundle structure but xylem gaps sometimes occur. In the latter, phloem is displaced in three previously undescribed ways: 1) ends abruptly near hydathode, 2) curves into connecting vein at adjacent junction, or 3) departs xylem, skirts hydathode independently, and rejoins adjacent xylem strand. Laminar hydathodes are a unifying character of theUrticaceae, and they also strengthen its close relationship to theMoraceae.     

Hydathode trichomes actively secreting water from leaves play a key role in the physiology and evolution of root-parasitic rhinanthoid Orobanchaceae

Background and Aims Root hemiparasites from the rhinanthoid clade of Orobanchaceae possess metabolically active glandular trichomes that have been suggested to function as hydathode trichomes actively secreting water, a process that may facilitate resource acquisition from the host plant’s root xylem. However, no direct evidence relating the trichomes to water secretion exists, and carbon budgets associated with this energy-demanding process have not been determined.Methods Macro- and microscopic observations of the leaves of hemiparasitic Rhinanthus alectorolophus were conducted and night-time gas exchange was measured. Correlations were examined among the intensity of guttation, respiration and transpiration, and analysis of these correlations allowed the carbon budget of the trichome activity to be quantified. We examined the intensity of guttation, respiration and transpiration, correlations among which indicate active water secretion.Key Results Guttation was observed on the leaves of 50 % of the young, non-flowering plants that were examined, and microscopic observations revealed water secretion from the glandular trichomes present on the abaxial leaf side. Night-time rates of respiration and transpiration and the presence of guttation drops were positively correlated, which is a clear indicator of hydathode trichome activity. Subsequent physiological measurements on older, flowering plants indicated neither intense guttation nor the presence of correlations, which suggests that the peak activity of hydathodes is in the juvenile stage.Conclusions This study provides the first unequivocal evidence for the physiological role of the hydathode trichomes in active water secretion in the rhinanthoid Orobanchaceae. Depending on the concentration of organic elements calculated to be in the host xylem sap, the direct effect of water secretion on carbon balance ranges from close to neutral to positive. However, it is likely to be positive in the xylem-only feeding holoparasites of the genus Lathraea, which is closely related to Rhinanthus. Thus, water secretion by the hydathodes might be viewed as a physiological pre-adaptation in the evolution of holoparasitism in the rhinanthoid lineage of Orobanchaceae.     

Plant functional strategies and environmental constraints in Mediterranean high mountain grasslands in central Spain

Background: The relationship between plant traits and environmental factors will be of value in understanding of functional strategies that plants have developed to cope with the environmental constraints on plant life in Mediterranean high mountain ecosystems.

Aims: The aims of this study were (1) to explore the variation in plant traits in relation to environmental variability; (2) to analyse the functional strategies of species; and (3) to assess the habitat constraints for the species in the study area.

Methods: We sampled the floristic composition of 76 1 m?×?1 m plots on five summits over 2,100 m above sea level in the mountains of the Sistema Central, Spain. Soil properties and temperature and grazing disturbance parameters were recorded. Eight plant traits were assessed in 21 species. Environmental variability and the co-variation of functional traits were analysed by RDA and PCA, respectively. Plant traits and environmental variability were related using fourth-corner analysis.

Results: Traits related to resource acquisition, such as leaf size and N concentration, varied with soil temperature and estimated summer water availability. Leaf dry matter content was found to be related to estimated water availability and soil pH. Seed mass was a factor of snow cover duration and water availability, and clonality to the duration of the vegetative period and estimated water availability. Grazing disturbance was related to the mean plant height of the species.

Conclusions: The results suggest that low temperatures, rather than water shortage, may be the principal limiting factor for resource acquisition in plants. Nevertheless species establishment is limited by water shortage during summer in these Mediterranean high mountain communities.     

Disentangling water sources in a gypsum plant community. Gypsum crystallization water is a key source of water for shallow-rooted plants

Background and AimsGypsum drylands are widespread worldwide. In these arid ecosystems, the ability of different species to access different water sources during drought is a key determining factor of the composition of plant communities. Gypsum crystallization water could be a relevant source of water for shallow-rooted plants, but the segregation in the use of this source of water among plants remains unexplored. We analysed the principal water sources used by 20 species living in a gypsum hilltop, the effect of rooting depth and gypsum affinity, and the interaction of the plants with the soil beneath them.MethodsWe characterized the water stable isotope composition, δ ²H and δ ¹⁸O, of plant xylem water and related it to the free and gypsum crystallization water extracted from different depths throughout the soil profile and the groundwater, in both spring and summer. Bayesian isotope mixing models were used to estimate the contribution of water sources to plant xylem sap.Key ResultsIn spring, all species used free water from the top soil as the main source. In summer, there was segregation in water sources used by different species depending on their rooting depth, but not on their gypsum affinity. Gypsum crystallization water was the main source for most shallow-rooted species, whereas free water from 50 to 100 cm depth was the main source for deep-rooted species. We detected plant–soil interactions in spring, and indirect evidence of possible hydraulic lift by deep-rooted species in summer.ConclusionsPlants coexisting in gypsum communities segregate their hydrological niches according to their rooting depth. Crystallization water of gypsum represents an unaccounted for, vital source for most of the shallow-rooted species growing on gypsum drylands. Thus, crystallization water helps shallow-rooted species to endure arid conditions, which eventually accounts for the maintenance of high biodiversity in these specialized ecosystems.     

The role of capacitance in the water balance of Andean giant rosette species

Abstract Pith water storage capacity and its role in plant-water relations were studied in seven giant rosette species of the genus Espeletia from the Venezuelan Andes. Readily available water from the pith was calculated to be capable of sustaining mean transpiration for up to 2.5 h. The relative importance of water stored in the pith, however, differed among species. The species that grow in the higher and colder environments tended to have a greater capacitance than the species that grow in the lower and less extreme environments. The pith volume per unit leaf area (PV/LA) was found to be a good indicator of the relative water storage capacity of the adult individuals of each species. Diurnal fluctuations in leaf water potential were not as pronounced in the species with higher PV/LA values. The species-specific PV/LA was highly correlated with the leaf turgor loss point and with the total resistance to water flow from soil to leaves. These results suggested that species-specific capacitance in the genus Espeletia is a response to temperature-limited soil water availability and that cold tropical environments with frequent subfreezing temperatures tend to select for high water storage capacity in giant rosette plants.     

The relationship between soil water storage capacity and plant species diversity in high alpine vegetation

Background: In those alpine regions where growing season precipitation is decreasing due to climate change, the capacity of soils to retain water may become an important factor for the persistence of plant species. However, the importance of soil water storage capacity (WSC) for plant species diversity has not been studied so far.

Aims: We aim to evaluate the relevance of WSC for species diversity of alpine plant communities in relation to temperature and length of growing season.

Methods: Species diversity was determined in 150 plots from a broad range of alpine vegetation types in the calcareous western part of the central Swiss Alps. WSC of soil cores sampled in every plot was determined, as well as rooting zone temperature and snowmelt date. Linear mixed models were used to assess the relationship between environmental data and species diversity.

Results: Species diversity was most strongly and positively related to WSC, followed by mean daily minimum temperature (T_min) of the growing season. Species diversity was significantly related to date of snowmelt only in sites with high WSC and/or T_min.

Conclusions: WSC represents an integrative measure for habitat quality and accounts for differences in species diversity within the study region. In order to understand and predict responses of plant species to climate change in high mountain regions, it may be crucial to also take changes in plant water supply into account.     

An ultrastructural investigation of the surface microbiota present on the leaves and reproductive structures of the resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolia

The leaves, flower and stems of the southern African angiosperm resurrection plant Myrothamnus flabellifolia were investigated at the ultrastructural level to determine the source of previously reported fungal contamination. Fungal mycelia and hyphae of the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium were found localized to the hydathodes of the leaves and stigmatic surfaces of the female flowers in both desiccated and hydrated specimens. A waxy bacterium of the genus Bacillus was found to colonise the waxy epidermal surfaces of the leaves and flowers which was also where fungal cells were found to be absent. It is suggested that the wax like deposits within the leaves and stems as well as over the epidermal surface prevent the growth of the fungal organisms. These fungi opportunistically invade moist surfaces, such as the floral stigmas, during periods of moisture availability and may thus negatively impact plant development.     

Ecophysiological characteristics of Avicennia germinans and Laguncularia racemosa coexisting in a scrub mangrove forest at the Indian River Lagoon, Florida

The purpose of this work is to increase ecological understanding of Avicennia germinans L. and Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn. F. growing in hypersaline habitats with a seasonal climate. The area has a dry season (DS) with low temperature and vapour pressure deficit (vpd), and a wet season (WS) with high temperature and slightly higher vpd. Seasonal patterns in interstitial soil water salinity suggested a lack of tidal flushing in this area to remove salt along the soil profile. The soil solution sodium/potassium (Na⁺/K⁺) ratio differed slightly along the soil profile during the DS, but during the WS it was significantly higher at the soil surface. Diurnal changes in xylem osmolality between predawn (higher) and midday (lower) were observed in both species. However, A. germinans had higher xylem osmolality compared to L. racemosa. Xylem Na⁺/K⁺ suggested higher selectivity of K⁺ over Na⁺ in both species and seasons. The water relations parameters derived from pressure–volume P–V curves were relatively stable between seasons for each species. The range of water potentials (Ψ), measured in the field, was within estimated values for turgor maintenance from P–V curves. Thus the leaves of both species were osmotically adapted to maintain continued water uptake in this hypersaline mangrove environment.     

Hydathodal leaf teeth of Chloranthus japonicus (Chloranthaceae) prevent guttation-induced flooding of the mesophyll

Why the leaves of cold temperate deciduous and moisture-loving angiosperms are so often toothed has long puzzled biologists because the functional consequences of teeth remain poorly understood. Here we provide functional and structural evidence that marginal leaf teeth of Chloranthus japonicus, an understory herb, enable the release of guttation sap during root pressure. When guttation from teeth hydathodes was experimentally blocked, we found that the leaf intercellular airspaces became flooded. Measurements of chlorophyll a fluorescence revealed that internal flooding resulted in an inhibition of photosynthesis, most likely through the formation of a film of water within the leaf that reduced CO₂ diffusion. Comparing a developmental series of leaves with and without teeth experimentally covered with wax, we found that teeth did not affect overall leaf stomatal conductance and CO₂ uptake. However, maximal and effective light-saturation PSII quantum yields of teeth were found to be lower or equal to the surrounding lamina throughout leaf ontogeny. Collectively, our results suggest hydathodes and their development on teeth apices enable the avoidance of mesophyll flooding by root pressure. We discuss how these new findings bear on the potential physiological interpretations of models that apply leaf marginal traits to infer ancient climates.     

自然林下与田间根腐三七根际微生物群落特征及比较分析

【背景】三七根际微生物群落特征与其土传根腐病害密切相关,而针对自然林下根腐三七的相关研究鲜见报道。【目的】比较分析自然林下与田间根腐三七根际土壤微生物群落的组成特征,结合土壤理化性质与酶活性分析,为三七根腐病害防治与仿野生栽培提供科学依据。【方法】采集自然林下与田间根腐三七根际土壤,利用高通量测序技术,分析土壤细菌与真菌群落的物种组成与多样性,并测定土壤理化性质和酶活性。【结果】自然林下与田间根腐三七根际土壤中细菌和真菌群落组成具有明显差异,自然林下根腐三七根际土壤中担子菌门(Basidiomycota)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)和疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)的相对丰度较高,而田间根腐三七根际土壤中子囊菌门(Ascomycota)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)的相对丰度较高。在属分类水平,镰刀菌属(Fusarium)是自然林下根腐三七根际土壤中的优势菌群,相对丰度为17.30%,而癣囊腔菌属(Plectosphaerella)是田间根腐三七根际土壤中的优势菌群,相对丰度为22.55%;Candidatus Ba...     

The cultivation of mosses and liverworts

Abstract

Rhynchostegium confusum, a new species from Spain and the Iberian Peninsula is described. It is closely related to R. confertum, from which it differs in its noticeably wider stem leaves with wider and apically spurred costa, more flexuous branch leaves, and shorter seta. It also differs in its habit and habitat: the plants are tightly attached to siliceous rocks just over the water level in rivulets that dry out during the summer in the Mediterranean region. Molecular data show that the new species derives from R. confertum, but is clearly differentiated from the studied populations of the latter in a number of missing haplotypes.     

A comparison of sap flux and water relations of leaves of various isolated trees with special reference to foundation movement in clay soil

Diurnal variation in sap flux (S) through stems of six trees, two each of Ulmus procera SALISB., Melaleuca styphelioides SM. and Prunus cerasifera EHRH. ‘Nigra’ (referred to hereafter by their generic names), were estimated from measurements of heat pulse velocities. Leaf water potential (ψ), stomatal conductance (g _s ) and transpiration from leaves (T) of all replicate trees were measured at 1300–1500h, once during the summer. On two separate occasions measurements were made of S, ψ, (g _s ) and T for one each of Ulmus and Melaleuca trees to study diurnal variations in these parameters. A 12×12 m² area around each tree was kept covered to simulate the condition of trees growing on pavements adjacent to residential properties. Sap flux for these tree species was in the order Melaleuca>Ulmus>Prunus. It is suggested that the smaller canopy and sapwood area in Prunus compared to the other two species is responsible for lower water potential and lower transpiration rate than the other species. Detailed analysis of the diurnal variation in sap flux and water relation of leaves of Melaleuca and Ulmus indicated sap flux of Melaleuca to be greater than that of Ulmus at the same transpiration rate per unit leaf area although the sapwood area of the two species was marginally different. This may have been due either to the difference in canopy conductance or in leaf area between the two species. With the assumption that sap flux closely resembles the rate of soil water extraction for both species, results indicate that Melaleuca is likely to extract soil water at a higher rate than Ulmus and hence is capable of causing greater shrinkage and soil movement than Ulmus.     

接种功能内生细菌Diaphorobacter sp.Phe15减少蔬菜亚细胞菲积累的体外试验研究

[目的]土壤中的多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs)可被蔬菜根系吸收并在可食部分积累进而通过食物链威胁人群健康。接种功能内生细菌能有效减低蔬菜中PAHs的积累,而关于其对蔬菜亚细胞组分中PAHs积累的影响却鲜有报道。[方法]采用体外实验,研究了接种具有菲降解功能的菌株Diaphorobacter sp. Phe15对空心菜茎叶亚细胞组分中菲积累的影响及PAHs代谢相关酶活性的响应。[结果]接种Phe15可以可加速空心菜茎叶亚细胞中菲的降解,显著削减空心菜亚细胞组分中菲的含量,接菌后空心菜亚细胞组分中菲降解率达90%以上。此外,接种功能菌Phe15可以影响空心菜亚细胞组分中PAHs代谢相关酶系的活性,空心菜亚细胞水平POD、PPO、C230活性整体得到提高,且酶系活性与空心菜体内菲积累呈负相关关系。[结论]接种具有菲降解功能的菌株Phe15增加了空心菜亚细胞水平PAHs代谢相关酶系活性,进而降低空心菜体内菲的积累,研究结果为利用功能内生细菌削减蔬菜中多环芳烃污染提供了一定的参考和理论依据。     

Species‐specific differences in water uptake depth of mature temperate trees vary with water availability in the soil

• Temperate tree species differ in their physiological sensitivity to declining soil moisture and drought. Although species‐specific responses to drought have often been suggested to be the result of different water uptake depths, empirical evidence for such a mechanism is scarce.
• Here we test if differences in water uptake depths can explain previously observed species‐specific physiological responses of temperate trees to drought and if the water uptake depth of different species varies in response to declining soil moisture. For this purpose, we employed stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of soil and xylem water that we collected over the course of three growing seasons in a mature temperate forest in Switzerland.
• Our data show that all investigated species utilise water from shallow soil layers during times of sufficient soil water supply. However, Fraxinus excelsior, Fagus sylvatica and Acer pseudoplatanus were able to shift their water uptake to deeper soil layers when soil water availability decreased in the topsoil. In contrast, Picea abies, was not able to shift its water uptake to deeper soil layers.
• We conclude from our data that more drought‐resistant tree species are able to shift their water uptake to deeper soil layers when water availability in the topsoil is becoming scarce. In addition, we were able to show that water uptake depth of temperate tree species is a trait with high plasticity that needs to be characterised across a range of environmental conditions.

     

Fine-scale spatial distribution of leaves and shoots of two chalk grassland perennials

The fine-scale spatial distribution of leaves and shoots of Brachypodium pinnatum and Carex flacca, two rhizomatous graminoids, was investigated in two chalk grasslands in South Limburg (The Netherlands). The objective was to examine whether leaves and shoots of Brachypodium, a dominant species, had a regular distribution on a small scale, as has been suggested for other clonal species that form high-density stands. Patterns were compared to Carex, which is never found to be as abundant as Brachypodium.The number of shoots and leaf contacts were counted in small quadrats, grouped in a grid. Using Moran's I analysis for autocorrelation, it appeared that leaves and shoots of both species were arranged in clumps, and that these clumps were randomly distributed across the soil surface. Shoot clumps in Carex were smaller in diameter and not as pronounced as those in Brachypodium.In most cases, patterns of leaves and shoots were positively correlated, indicating that leaves were predominantly positioned above and around the groups of quadrats where the shoots were attached. However, in dense stands of Brachypodium the positions of leaf clumps were not correlated to those of shoot clumps. This is a result of the tall growth form of this species and its high shoot densities, and it is suggested that this will be a characteristic of any species that dominates a dense stand.     

A new species of Zelkova (Ulmaceae,Ulmoideae) with leaves and fruits from the Oligocene of South China and its biogeographical implications

A new fossil species of Zelkova is described from the Oligocene Ningming Formation of Guangxi, South China. Zelkova ningmingensis sp. nov. is characterized by leaves with craspedodromous venation pattern and drupaceous fruit type. The new species possesses elliptical to ovate leaves, bearing 7–12 pairs of secondary and simple toothed margin, as well as epidermal cells with straight or rounded anticlinal walls. The species is compared with extant and other fossil species hitherto reported of the genus. It is most similar to the living Zelkova schneideriana in the leaf gross morphology and epidermal characters, which may be suggested to be the ancestral type of Zelkova schneideriana. The discovery of Zelkova ningmingensis sp. nov. in Guangxi indicates that Zelkova has already existed in southern China as early as the Oligocene. In combination with Zelkova material from the Oligocene of Europe, it can be inferred that Eurasian Zelkova had begun to diversify by at least the Oligocene. Because China is the biodiversity centre of modern Zelkova, the fossil herein provides new insights into Zelkova biogeography.     

Bacterial Community Composition in Central European Running Waters Examined by Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis and Sequence Analysis of 16S rRNA Genes

The bacterial community composition in small streams and a river in central Germany was examined by temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) with PCR products of 16S rRNA gene fragments and sequence analysis. Complex TGGE band patterns suggested high levels of diversity of bacterial species in all habitats of these environments. Cluster analyses demonstrated distinct differences among the communities in stream and spring water, sandy sediments, biofilms on stones, degrading leaves, and soil. The differences between stream water and sediment were more significant than those between sites within the same habitat along the stretch from the stream source to the mouth. TGGE data from an entire stream course suggest that, in the upper reach of the stream, a special suspended bacterial community is already established and changes only slightly downstream. The bacterial communities in water and sediment in an acidic headwater with a pH below 5 were highly similar to each other but deviated distinctly from the communities at the other sites. As ascertained by nucleotide sequence analysis, stream water communities were dominated by Betaproteobacteria (one-third of the total bacteria), whereas sediment communities were composed mainly of Betaproteobacteria and members of the Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria group (each accounting for about 25% of bacteria). Sequences obtained from bacteria from water samples indicated the presence of typical cosmopolitan freshwater organisms. TGGE bands shared between stream and soil samples, as well as sequences found in bacteria from stream samples that were related to those of soil bacteria, demonstrated the occurrence of some species in both stream and soil habitats. Changes in bacterial community composition were correlated with geographic distance along a stream, but in comparisons of different streams and rivers, community composition was correlated only with environmental conditions.