Identification of factors that cause heterophylly in Ludwigia arcuata Walt. (Onagraceae)

Citation
A. Kuwabara et al., Identification of factors that cause heterophylly in Ludwigia arcuata Walt. (Onagraceae), PLANT BIO, 3(1), 2001, pp. 98-105
Citations number
34
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences","Animal & Plant Sciences
Journal title
PLANT BIOLOGY
ISSN journal
1435-8603 → ACNP
Volume
3
Issue
1
Year of publication
2001
Pages
98 - 105
Database
ISI
SICI code
1435-8603(200101)3:1<98:IOFTCH>2.0.ZU;2-K
Abstract
The submerged leaves of Ludwigia arcuata are much narrower than the terrest rial leaves. Such heterophyllous changes in leaf shape have been observed i n other aquatic angiosperms, such as Callitriche heterophylla, Hippuris vul garis and Ranunculus flabellaris, but the cause of the formation of heterop hyllous leaves in L. arcuata seems to be quite different. In contrast to ot her species, in which the shapes of epidermal cells have been changed, the change of leaf shape in L. arcuata was found to be due to changes in the nu mbers of epidermal cells aligned in transverse sections. The susceptibility of leaves to changes in shape above and below the water is dependent on th e developmental stages: leaves younger than the fourth leaf responded to a change in environment, while leaves older than the fifth leaf did not. Trea tment with ACC (1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid), a precursor to ethy lene, induced the formation of submerged-type leaves on terrestrial shoots, implying that ethylene might be the endogenous factor responsible for the change in leaf shape. The results are discussed with reference to the signi ficance acclimation plants to environmental changes.