Leaf development in Ricinus communis during drought stress: dynamics of growth processes, of cellular structure and of sink-source transition

Dicot leaf growth is characterized by partly transient tip-to-base gradients of growth processes, structure and function. These gradients develop dynamically and interact with dynamically developing stress conditions like drought. In Ricinus communis plants growing under well-watered and drought conditions growth rates peaked during the late night and minimal values occurred in the late afternoon. During this diurnal course the leaf base always showed much higher rates than the leaf tip. The amplitude of this diurnal course decreased when leaves approached maturity and during drought stress without any significant alteration of the diurnal pattern and it increased during the first days after rewatering. Unique relationships between leaf size and cytological structure were observed. This provided the framework for the analysis of changes in assimilation, transpiration and dark respiration, chlorophyll, protein, carbohydrate, and amino acid concentrations, and of activities of sink-source-related enzymes at the leaf tip and base during leaf development in well-watered and drought-stressed plants. Gas exchange was dominated by physiological rather than by anatomical properties (stomatal density). Tip-to-base gradients in carbohydrate concentrations per dry weight and sink-source-related enzymes were absent, whereas significant gradients were found in amino acid concentrations per dry weight. During drought stress, growing leaves developed source function at smaller leaf size, before specific physiological adaptations to drought occurred. The relevance of the developmental status of individual leaves for the drought-stress response and of the structural changes for the biochemical composition changes is discussed.     

Decline of leaf hydraulic conductance with dehydration: relationship to leaf size and venation architecture

Across plant species, leaves vary enormously in their size and their venation architecture, of which one major function is to replace water lost to transpiration. The leaf hydraulic conductance (K(leaf)) represents the capacity of the transport system to deliver water, allowing stomata to remain open for photosynthesis. Previous studies showed that K(leaf) relates to vein density (vein length per area). Additionally, venation architecture determines the sensitivity of K(leaf) to damage; severing the midrib caused K(leaf) and gas exchange to decline, with lesser impacts in leaves with higher major vein density that provided more numerous water flow pathways around the damaged vein. Because xylem embolism during dehydration also reduces K(leaf), we hypothesized that higher major vein density would also reduce hydraulic vulnerability. Smaller leaves, which generally have higher major vein density, would thus have lower hydraulic vulnerability. Tests using simulations with a spatially explicit model confirmed that smaller leaves with higher major vein density were more tolerant of major vein embolism. Additionally, for 10 species ranging strongly in drought tolerance, hydraulic vulnerability, determined as the leaf water potential at 50% and 80% loss of K(leaf), was lower with greater major vein density and smaller leaf size (|r| = 0.85-0.90; P < 0.01). These relationships were independent of other aspects of physiological and morphological drought tolerance. These findings point to a new functional role of venation architecture and small leaf size in drought tolerance, potentially contributing to well-known biogeographic trends in leaf size.     

芭蕉芋叶片结构特征及其与抗旱性的关系

运用石蜡切片法和指甲油印迹法,对3个芭蕉芋品种的叶片解剖结构——叶片厚度、叶肉厚度、上表皮厚度、下表皮厚度、气孔密度、气孔长度及宽度、长细胞长度及宽度、短细胞长度及宽度等10项相关指标进行测定,分析芭蕉芋抗旱性与叶片结构之间的关系。结果表明:(1)芭蕉芋的表皮结构与抗旱性有一定的关系,表现为抗旱性强的品种气孔密度大,且长、短细胞体积小、排列紧密。(2)芭蕉芋叶片、叶肉、上下表皮厚度与抗旱性关系在不同品种间差异不显著。(3)芭蕉芋叶肉及上、下表皮占叶片横切面的比例与抗旱性存在显著相关关系。(4)芭蕉芋叶片保水能力与叶肉比例呈极显著负相关关系,与上表皮比例呈极显著正相关关系。     

The modular character of growth in Nicotiana tabacum plants under steady-state nutrition

The impact of different plant growth rates on biomass allocation and growth distribution in tobacco was studied on the whole plant, total leaf area and single leaf level. On the whole plant level, constant relationships were found between the total leaf area and the biomass allocation to leaves and the nonphotosynthetic organs (roots and stem) independent from the overall growth rate and the nutrient addition rate to the plants. On the level of total leaf area, plants grown at lower nutrient supply reached a distinct distribution of leaf area later than those grown at higher nutrient supply, but the normalized distribution of leaf area along the stem at a certain plant size did not differ between plants growing at different nutrient supply and growth rates. On the leaf blade level, growth rates declined, initially linearly, from the leaf base to the leaf tip. Distinct gradients within the side veins were not observed, but the growth rates of the side veins were closely correlated to the adjacent mid-vein segments. These gradients flattened with increasing size of the leaf. The modular character of growth in tobacco is discussed in the context of basic growth analysis and as a framework for physiological, cytological, biochemical, and molecular studies in growing plants.Key words: Nicotiana tabacum, whole plant, total leaf area, leaf growth, growth rate, biomass.      

Studies on the Growth of Spinach Leaves (Spinacea oleracea)

The growth of spinach leaves has been studied from approximately1 cm long to full size. Over-all growth was measured in termsof area and total number of cells. The differential growth ofleaves was measured by the changes in the shape of squares drawnon the leaf surface. Growth differentials in terms of numbersof cells and number displaying mitotic figures were measuredin leaf discs taken from different positions within leaves. It was found that cell division in spinach leaves continueduntil the leaves reach from one-third to one-half full size.Cell division within the lamina of the leaves was not uniformbut ceased at an early stage of development in the leaf tipregion and continued for an extended period at the base.     

Water relations of compound leaves and phyllodes in Acacia koa var. latifolia

Abstract Moisture release characteristics and field measurements of physiological parameters (conductance and water potential) and environmental parameters (ambient temperature, water vapour saturation deficit and photosynthetic photon flux density) were measured for phyllodes and compound leaves of Acacia koa over a 2 month period at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, to determine what differences in water relations might occur between leaf types. The phyllodes were found to contain more water at full turgor, use less water in turgor control and have stomatal conductances more closely associated with bulk leaf water status and environmental variables. These results suggest that the phyllodes are more drought adapted, whereas the compound leaves probably promote more rapid early growth during periods of high moisture availability.     

Different combinations of morpho‐physiological traits are responsible for tolerance to drought in wild tomatoes Solanum chilense and Solanum peruvianum

Herbaceous species can modify leaf structure during the growing season in response to drought stress and water loss. Evolution can select combinations of traits in plants for efficient water use in restricted environments. We investigated plant traits that mediate adaptation and acclimation to water stress in two herbaceous drought‐tolerant species. Anatomical, morphological and physiological traits related to stems and leaves were examined under optimal watering (OW) and a long period of restricted watering (RW) in 11 accessions from three Solanaceae species (Solanum chilense, S. peruvianum and S. lycopersicum). The relationships between these traits were tested using linear regression and PCA. There were significant differences in anatomical traits between the species under both OW and RW, where leaf area correlated with stem diameter. Proline and total carbohydrates accumulated highly in S. chilense and S. peruvianum, respectively, and these osmolytes were strongly correlated with increased osmotic potential. Stomatal density varied between species but not between acclimation treatments, while stomatal rate was significantly higher in wild tomatoes. There was a strong positive relationship between stem growth rate and a group of traits together expressed as total stomatal number. Total stomata is described by integration of leaf area, stomatal density, height and internode length. It is proposed that constitutive adaptations and modifications through acclimation that mediate RW play an important role in tolerance to drought stress in herbaceous plants. The capacity for growth under drought stress was not associated with any single combination of traits in wild tomatoes, since the two species differed in relative levels of expression of various phenotypic traits.     

Drought effects on cellular and spatial parameters of leaf growth in tall fescue

The effect of drought and recovery on cellular and spatial parametersof the growth process in tall fescue leaves was studied in twoexperiments. In both experiments plants grown on vermiculiteand maintained in a controlled environment were submitted toa 7 d drought period generated by withholding water. Droughtwas followed by a 3 d recovery period in experiment II. As leafelongation rate (LER) decreased during developing drought boththe growth zone length (initially 40 mm) and the maximum relativeelemental growth rate (initially 0.09 mm mm^–1 h^–1during the dark period of diurnal cycles) within the growthzone declined. But the growth zone still exhibited a lengthof approximately 15 mm when LER approached 0 under severe drought(–2.0 MPa predawn leaf water potential). The growth potentialof the basal 15-mm-long portion of the leaf was conserved duringthe period when drought effected the complete arrest of leafelongation. A (retrospective) analysis of the position-timerelationships of epidermal cells identified on leaf replicas(experiment II) indicated that the cell flux out of the growthzone responded very sensitively to drought. Before drought theflux was maximum at approximately 3.2 cells (cell file h)^–1during the dark period. Flux decreased to 0 when leaf elongationstopped. Flux also varied diurnally both under well-wateredand droughted conditions. In well-watered conditions it wasabout 30% less during the light than the dark period. Cell elongationwas also sensitive to drought. Under well-watered conditionsepidermal cell elongation stopped when cells attained a lengthof approximately 480 µm. During developing drought cellsstopped elongating at progressively shorter lengths. When LERhad decreased to almost nil, cells stopped elongating at a lengthof approximately 250 µn. When drought was relieved followinga 2 d complete arrest of leaf elongation then cells shorterthan 250 µm were able to resume expansion. Following rewateringcell flux out of the growth zone increased rapidly to and abovethe pre-drought level, but there was only a slow increase overtime in the length at which cell elongation stopped. About 2d elapsed until the leaf growth zone produced cells of similarlength as before drought (i.e. approximately 480 µm). Key words: Epidermal cell length, cell flux, (leaf) growth zone, leaf elongation rate, relative elemental growth rate, position-time relationships (path line, growth trajectory), drought, water deficit     

Polyploidy and cellular mechanisms changing leaf size: comparison of diploid and autotetraploid populations in two species of Lolium

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Growth and development of plant organs, including leaves, depend on cell division and expansion. Leaf size is increased by greater cell ploidy, but the mechanism of this effect is poorly understood. Therefore, in this study, the role of cell division and expansion in the increase of leaf size caused by polyploidy was examined by comparing various cell parameters of the mesophyll layer of developing leaves of diploid and autotetraploid cultivars of two grass species, Lolium perenne and L. multiflorum. METHODS: Three cultivars of each ploidy level of both species were grown under pot conditions in a controlled growth chamber, and leaf elongation rate and the cell length profile at the leaf base were measured on six plants in each cultivar. Cell parameters related to division and elongation activities were calculated by a kinematic method. KEY RESULTS: Tetraploid cultivars had faster leaf elongation rates than did diploid cultivars in both species, resulting in longer leaves, mainly due to their longer mature cells. Epidermal and mesophyll cells differed 20-fold in length, but were both greater in the tetraploid cultivars of both species. The increase in cell length of the tetraploid cultivars was caused by a faster cell elongation rate, not by a longer period of cell elongation. There were no significant differences between cell division parameters, such as cell production rate and cell cycle time, in the diploid and tetraploid cultivars. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated clearly that polyploidy increases leaf size mainly by increasing the cell elongation rate, but not the duration of the period of elongation, and thus increases final cell size.     

春小麦对骤旱的响应特征及其阈值分析

与缓慢发展的干旱过程不同,骤旱具有发生速度快,短期内可致害的特点。目前,关于作物骤旱致害的临界阈值及其调控机制尚不清楚。以春小麦为供试作物,通过桶栽试验,模拟研究骤旱过程中小麦受旱致害的过程特征及其控制因素。结果发现,发生骤旱时土壤含水量下降呈先快后慢的变化趋势,叶片水分和叶水势则呈先慢后快的指数变化趋势。叶片光合生理指标对土壤水分的下降存在明显的阈值响应,且不同生理指标的阈值并不完全相同,其中净光合速率与表征叶片光合能力的指标（最大羧化速率）对土壤有效含水量的响应阈值为0.4,气孔导度和蒸腾速率对土壤有效含水量的响应阈值分别为0.5和0.4。而小麦光合生理指标对叶片水分和叶水势的阈值响应并不明显。同时依据各生理指标相关和通径分析结果得出,骤旱发生时引起小麦叶片净光合速率快速降低的主导因子为非气孔因素,而并不是以往作物受旱研究中的气孔因素。本研究结果有望丰富干旱影响认知,并可为科学应对干旱提供依据。     

CAUSAL MECHANISMS OF LEAF DIMORPHISM IN THE AQUATIC ANGIOSPERM CALLITRICHE HETEROPHYLLA

This report investigates the physiological basis for the production of dimorphic leaves on the aquatic angiosperm Callitriche heterophylla. In nature, the leaf morphology of this plant depends on whether the shoot apex is submerged in or emergent from water. The water-form leaves that develop on submerged apices assume a long, linear shape in contrast to the short, obovate appearance of land forms on emergent apices. The parameters of length/width ratio and stomatal density were used as developmental indices to characterize how natural conditions, fluctuating water levels and other experimental treatments affect leaf shape. Transferring submerged and emergent shoots to the alternative culture conditions caused immature leaves to assume the characteristics appropriate to their new environment. Moreover, the treatments of 0.24 mol mannitol, high temperature (30 C) and 10^−-5 m abscisic acid induced submerged shoots to produce land-form leaves whereas 10^−-5 m gibberellic acid mediated the development of water-form leaves on emergent shoots. Water, osmotic and pressure potentials of immature leaves in the control and experimental treatments were determined by thermocouple psychrometry. Under natural conditions, growing water forms exhibited high turgors (3–5 bars) while developing land forms showed much lower turgors (0–1 bar). Similar correlations between turgor pressure and leaf morphology were observed in the case of the gibberellic acid and mannitol treatments. However, abscisic acid and high temperature caused the developing land-form leaves to exhibit high turgors without a concomitant change to the water-form morphology. Microscopic measurements of epidermal cells established that irrespective of the experimental conditions, water-form leaves had longer and narrower epidermal cells with less convoluted anticlinal walls than land forms. Cell counts indicated that the numbers of epidermal cells did not account for the observed differences in leaf morphology. The results are interpreted in terms of how cell expansion might regulate leaf morphology in aquatic angiosperms.     

Comparison of allometric relationships and morphological differences in Tilia cordata Mill. outer leaves exposed to different environmental conditions

The study is based on four leaf parameters: leaf width (LW), lobe length (LL), leaf size (LS) and leaf shape which is calculated as LW to leaf length (LW/LL) ratio. Under different environmental conditions, LL is an isometric character, LW shows positive allometry, whereas LW/LL shows negative allometry. Regression analysis results indicated that there is no significant difference either in slopes or in regression coefficients between investigated sites. Thus, in this study, we found that allometric relationships between leaf parameters and LS are character specific and that they tended not to differ significantly between Tilia cordata Mill. outer leaves exposed to different environmental conditions. Also, there are no significant interpopulation differences for both principal component PC1 and PC2 scores. The stepwise discriminant functional analysis results allowed us to identify a set of two leaf parameters (LS and LL) with a moderate discriminating ability (59.8%). T. cordata outer leaves are significantly larger and broader in the reference area (R-leaves) than leaves from polluted (P-leaves) site. The data also indicated that there is a relatively larger petiole size in R-leaves than in P-leaves. We found that in P-leaves, LW increased faster with increasing LS than in R-leaves.     

Genetic relationships among Eriobotrya species revealed by genome‐wide RAD sequence data

Restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) was used to illuminate the genetic relationships among Eriobotrya species. The raw data were filtered, and 221 million clean reads were used for further analysis. A total of 1,983,332 SNPs were obtained from 23 Eriobotrya species and two relative genera. We obtained similar results by neighbor‐joining and maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees. All Eriobotrya plants grouped together into a big clade, and two out‐groups clustered together into a single or separate clade. Chinese and Vietnam accessions were distributed throughout the dendrogram. There was nonsignificant correlation between genotype and geographical distance. However, clustering results were correlated with leaf size to some extent. The Eriobotrya species could be divided into following three groups based on leaf size and phylogenetic analysis: group A and group B comprised of small leaves with <10 cm length except E. stipularis (16.76 cm), and group C can be further divided into two subgroups, which contained medium‐size leaves with a leaf length ranged from 10 to 20 cm and a leaf length bigger than 20 cm.     

Phytochrome B control of total leaf area and stomatal density affects drought tolerance in rice

We report that phytochrome B (phyB) mutants exhibit improved drought tolerance compared to wild type (WT) rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Nipponbare). To understand the underlying mechanism by which phyB regulates drought tolerance, we analyzed root growth and water loss from the leaves of phyB mutants. The root system showed no significant difference between the phyB mutants and WT, suggesting that improved drought tolerance has little relation to root growth. However, phyB mutants exhibited reduced total leaf area per plant, which was probably due to a reduction in the total number of cells per leaf caused by enhanced expression of Orysa;KRP1 and Orysa;KRP4 (encoding inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase complex activity) in the phyB mutants. In addition, the developed leaves of phyB mutants displayed larger epidermal cells than WT leaves, resulting in reduced stomatal density. phyB deficiency promoted the expression of both putative ERECTA family genes and EXPANSIN family genes involved in cell expansion in leaves, thus causing greater epidermal cell expansion in the phyB mutants. Reduced stomatal density resulted in reduced transpiration per unit leaf area in the phyB mutants. Considering all these findings, we propose that phyB deficiency causes both reduced total leaf area and reduced transpiration per unit leaf area, which explains the reduced water loss and improved drought tolerance of phyB mutants.     

Foliar growth of Eriocnema fulva Naudin (Melastomataceae) in a forest fragment in southeastern Brazil.

Eriocnema fulva Naudin is an endangered herbaceous, perennial, iteroparous, evergreen species geographically restricted to southeastern-center Minas Gerais State, SE Brazil. The individuals occur as patches on rocky riverbanks shaded by seasonal semideciduous Atlantic forest; they are fixed by roots and have a pending stem. Aiming to investigate leaf development and its importance for individual survival, fifteen contiguous plots (1 x 1 m) were set down in Jambreiro Forest (19 degrees 58'-59' S and 43 degrees 52'-55' W, 800-1100 m altitude), in the municipality of Nova Lima. A total of 260 individuals with the largest leaf blade length > or = 1 cm was tagged and measured in 1997, 1998, and 1999. Leaf expansion was recorded each month during 26 months until April 2000. Plant size was measured through leaf blade length, petiole length, stem length, and number of leaves. Significant changes were detected only after two years, thus indicating that plant growth is slow. The proportion of surviving leaves after two years was 60%. Total blade expansion took over 14 months, a slow growth rate when compared to leaves of other tropical forest canopy and understory species. Long leaf lifespans are to be found in plants exhibiting slow growth, and we observed that some leaves lived longer than three years. Petiole growth can help to better position the leaf in the search for light, thus contributing to the growth and survival of the plant. The relationships among size measures were significant, reinforcing the great contribution of leaf size for plant size. The age of the largest individual was estimated as 36 years based on the median annual leaf production rate.     

Dwarfing genes and cell dimensions in different organs of wheat

A field experiment was conducted under non-limiting water and nutritional conditions with three near-isogenic lines of spring wheat (dwarf, DD; semi-dwarf, SD and standard height, SH) to study the impact of the GA-insensitive alleles Rht1 and Rht2, at the cellular level, on the growth of different vegetative organs and of the pericarp of grains. Cell length and width of blades of different leaves (3, 7 and flag leaf), the flag-leaf sheath and the penultimate internode as well as the pericarp of basal grains from central spikelets of the spike were evaluated. With the exception of the flag leaf, dwarfing genes produced a significant reduction in cell length in all the different vegetative organs analysed. There was no effect on the number of cells nor their width. Therefore, in vegetative organs, the effects of these alleles appeared to be exclusively due to a reduction in cell length. It would appear that dwarfing genes act on cell elongation without affecting cell division.The Rht alleles did not modify cell length nor width in the pericarp. Grain weight was different between the lines and these differences were associated with grain volume at the beginning of linear grain growth. Thus, they reduced the size of individual grains by reducing the total number of cells in the pericarp.It appears that Rht alleles reduced the final sizes of vegetative organs (such as internodes and leaves) and of tissues (pericarp) associated with reproductive structures (grains), but the modes of action in these different organs were different.Keywords: Cell dimensions, plant height, Rht alleles, Triticum aestivum/wheat.      

平茬高度对香椿生长及其光合特性和非结构性碳水化合物含量的影响

该研究以4年生香椿为试验材料,设置平茬20 cm(T₁)、50 cm(T₂)、80 cm(T₃)和不平茬(CK)4种处理,观测其萌枝和叶片生长情况,以及叶片的气体交换参数、光合色素含量、非结构性碳水化合物(NSC)含量的变化,分析不同平茬高度的生长生理响应差异,以明确平茬措施下香椿植株更新复壮再生的生理机制。结果表明：(1)平茬能够显著提高香椿的萌枝能力,促进侧枝和叶片生长,其萌枝数、侧枝长度在T₃处理下最高,成枝数、叶长、叶宽、叶面积及侧枝粗度在T₂处理下达到最大值。(2)随着平茬高度的增加,香椿叶片净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度和水分利用效率均先升后降,并在T₂处理达到最大,较CK分别显著提高了17.33%、10.00%、13.51%和6.98%;平茬也提高了叶片光合色素含量,叶绿素a、叶绿素b、总叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量在T₂处理下分别比CK显著提高了18.34%、27.07%、21.11%和23.05%。(3)不同平茬高度处...     

Reflectance and biochemical responses of maize plants to drought and re‐watering cycles

The ability to recover from drought stress after re‐watering is an important feature that will enable plants to cope with the predicted increase in episodic drought. The effects of pre‐drought and re‐watering conditions on leaf spectral properties and their relationships with the biochemical processes that underlie the recovery from pre‐drought conditions should be better understood. The reflectance spectra, 10 spectral reflectance indices (SRIs) and biochemical characteristics of maize (Zea mays) leaves were monitored 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after the initiation of soil drought stress during two successive cycles of drought and re‐watering periods. The leaf reflectance of the two inbred maize lines increased under the drought stress, especially in the visible spectral range. In addition, an obvious recovery of the leaf reflectance was only observed in the first re‐watering period, and its value remained higher than that of the control plants during the second recovery period. A recovery lag in the pigment contents was also observed during the second cycle. The recovery variations in the pattern and magnitude of the SRIs and the total contents of C, N and P that were measured in response to the re‐watering during both cycles were diverse and complex; both full and partial recoveries were observed. The SRIs representing different physiological attributes of plant growth, including the water index, red edge position, photochemical reflectance index and near‐infrared reflectance at 800 nm, showed strong linear relationships (P < 0.01 or 0.05) with the growth and biochemical traits across the successive drought and re‐watering cycles. The results suggest that maize plants can adjust their leaf reflectance properties and employ growth and biochemical strategies to adapt to cyclic drought stress and recover from drought stress after re‐watering.     

菠萝蜜白化突变体叶片表皮形态研究

为探究木本植物白化突变体叶片表皮形态的变化,在扫描电镜下观测了菠萝蜜（Artocarpus heterophyllus）白化突变体（AAS）和正常（CK）幼苗叶片的表皮细胞和气孔器,对MAP65家族蛋白构建了进化树,并分析了MAP65基因的表达模式。结果表明,AAS表皮细胞和气孔器的大小、形态均发生较大变化。与CK相比,AAS表皮细胞的周长、面积较小,密度较大,凸出数量和长度均减少,气孔器较小且大小不一。下表皮小细胞和异常气孔器的数量在AAS中大幅增加。MAP65家族成员大部分基因在AAS中下调表达。因此,推测菠萝蜜白化突变体的发生可能与MAP65基因表达有关。     

插穗因素对闽楠扦插苗生根、生长及相关酶活性的影响

选择40年生无病虫害闽楠植株半木质化枝条为插穗,采用L_8(2~7)正交试验方法,设置插穗来源(枝条顶部、枝条中部)、枝条长度(10cm、15cm)和留叶数(保留1片和2片全叶)3个插穗因素,研究插穗因素对闽楠扦插苗生根、生长及理化性质等方面影响,筛选适宜插穗处理方式,揭示插穗调控扦插苗生根和生长机理。结果表明:(1)闽楠插穗来源、长度及留叶数显著影响扦插苗的生根、生长及理化特性。(2)闽楠扦插最适合的插穗处理是取长度为10cm的中部枝、保留2片叶。(3)影响闽楠扦插生根率的最主要因素是插穗来源,关键生理指标是根系PPO和POD活性;影响闽楠扦插苗新梢生长最主要的因素是插穗的留叶数,关键生理指标是根系IAAO活性和MDA含量。研究表明,各插穗因素显著影响着闽楠扦插苗的生根及生长,并以长度10cm、保留2片的中部枝为插穗最佳;该研究结果为闽楠扦插繁殖技术制定和推广应用提供理论与技术指导。