The Potential Roles of Unique Leaf Structure for the Adaptation of Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. in Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Results
2.1. Variation in Leaf Number, Size and Shape between Young and Old Plants
2.2. Leaf Temperature Variation in Over-5-Year-Old Plants
2.3. Physiological Variations within Large Leaves of Over-5-Year-Old Plants
2.4. Airflow around the Leaves of Over-5-Year-Old Plants
3. Discussion
3.1. Heteroblastic Characteristics of R. tanguticum Leaves
3.2. Leaf Temperature Variation in Leaves of Over-5-Year-Old Plants
3.3. Physiological Characteristics within Large Leaves of Over-5-Year-Old Plants
4. Materials and Methods
4.1. Study Site and Plant Materials
4.2. Leaf Number, Leaf Size, Leaf Area and Leaf Dry Mass
4.3. The Intersection Angle between the Blades
4.4. Measurement of the Vein Angles Relative to the Plane of the Middle of Five First-Order Veins
4.5. Temperature and Thermal Imaging of Over-5-Year-Old R. tanguticum Leaves
4.6. Measurement of Leaf Photosynthesis
4.7. Airflow around the Leaves of Over-5-Year-Old Plants
4.8. Statistical Analysis
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Traits | 1–2-Year-Old | 3–4-Year-Old | Over-5-Year-Old |
---|---|---|---|
Size | Small | Medium | Large |
Shape | Ovate | Palmatilobate | Palmatipartite |
Leaf number per individual | 1.87 ± 0.11c (n = 30) | 2.71 ± 0.12b (n = 31) | 5.94 ± 0.19a (n = 32) |
Length of leaf (cm) | 7.63 ± 0.39c (n = 30) | 22.02 ± 1.10b (n = 29) | 82.79 ± 2.67a (n = 30) |
Width of leaf (cm) | 6.25 ± 0.36c (n = 30) | 19.36 ± 1.23b (n = 29) | 86.44 ± 2.81a (n = 30) |
Leaf area (cm2) | 25.50 ± 3.50c (n = 35) | 173.27 ± 15.51b (n = 14) | 4406.08 ± 671.29a (n = 12) |
Leaf dry mass (g) | 0.09 ± 0.01c (n = 19) | 2.07 ± 0.27b (n = 15) | 35.69 ± 6.19a (n = 9) |
Intersection angle around middle of five first-order veins (°) | 180 | 85.44 ± 1.38 (n = 30) | 60.51 ± 1.22 (n = 30) |
Intersection angle around second-order vein (°) | - | - | 59.65 ± 0.93 (n = 30) |
Plasticity Index | 1–2-Year-Old | 3–4-Year-Old | Over-5-Year-Old |
---|---|---|---|
Length of leaf | 0.64 | 0.63 | 0.50 |
Width of leaf | 0.69 | 0.68 | 0.52 |
Leaf area | 0.97 | 0.67 | 0.79 |
Leaf dry mass | 0.91 | 0.83 | 0.79 |
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Hu, Y.; Zhang, H.; Qian, Q.; Lin, G.; Wang, J.; Sun, J.; Li, Y.; Jang, J.-C.; Li, W. The Potential Roles of Unique Leaf Structure for the Adaptation of Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. in Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. Plants 2022, 11, 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040512
Hu Y, Zhang H, Qian Q, Lin G, Wang J, Sun J, Li Y, Jang J-C, Li W. The Potential Roles of Unique Leaf Structure for the Adaptation of Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. in Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. Plants. 2022; 11(4):512. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040512
Chicago/Turabian StyleHu, Yanping, Huixuan Zhang, Qian Qian, Gonghua Lin, Jun Wang, Jing Sun, Yi Li, Jyan-Chyun Jang, and Wenjing Li. 2022. "The Potential Roles of Unique Leaf Structure for the Adaptation of Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. in Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau" Plants 11, no. 4: 512. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040512