PMID: 11607329Oct 1, 1992Paper

Contrasting leaf phenotypes control seasonal variation in water loss in a tropical forest shrub

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Stephen S MulkeyR Dudley

Abstract

Psychotria marginata, a shrub common to humid tropical forests in Central America, produces leaves in two seasonal flushes with contrasting morphology and physiology. Leaf production is bimodal with a major peak at the beginning of the annual wet season and a secondary peak at the end of the wet season. Together these peaks account for 75-87% of annual leaf production. Leaves produced just prior to the dry season have higher specific mass and, during drought, have lower stomatal conductances and higher water-use efficiencies. Plants irrigated during two consecutive dry seasons continued to produce leaves with these morphological and physiological differences, indicating that this feature has been strongly canalized by some factor other than water availability in this highly predictable yet seasonal habitat. The bimodal leaf production results in acclimation to changing conditions through co-occurring leaves that lack the physiological plasticity usually associated with acclimation. Heterophylly of this form suggests that the moderate drought of the dry season has been a significant selective factor for understory plants.

References

Jan 1, 1984·Plant Physiology·M A Matthews, J S Boyer

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Citations

Oct 1, 1996·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·S S MulkeyS J Wright
Nov 26, 1999·International Journal of Plant Sciences·P K Diggle
Nov 26, 1999·International Journal of Plant Sciences·A A Winn
Oct 1, 2010·The New Phytologist·A LeighN M Holbrook
Jun 24, 2004·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Jeffrey Q Chambers, Whendee L Silver
Jun 20, 2019·Frontiers in Plant Science·Giacomo Puglielli

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