Characterisation of xylem conduits and their possible role in limiting the vase life of cut Acacia holosericea (Mimosaceae) foliage stems
Jilushi W. Damunupola A , Kamani Ratnayake B E , Daryl C. Joyce B C and Donald E. Irving D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, The University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, KY 20400, Sri Lanka.
B The University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Gatton, Qld 4343, Australia.
C Agri-Science Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, PO Box 5083, Sunshine Coast Mail Centre (SCMC), Nambour, Qld 4560, Australia.
D New South Wales Department of Industry and Investment, Yanco Agricultural Institute, Yanco, NSW 2703, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: kamani.ratnayake@uqconnect.edu.au
Functional Plant Biology 38(7) 614-623 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP11068
Submitted: 15 March 2011 Accepted: 30 May 2011 Published: 12 July 2011
Abstract
Early desiccation limits the vase life of Acacia cut flowers and foliage and may be attributable to poor hydraulic conductivity (Kh) of the cut stems. Acacia holosericea A.Cunn. ex G.Don has been adopted as the test species to investigate the postharvest water relations of the genus Acacia. To understand potential constraints on Kh, xylem conduits in cut A. holosericea stems were anatomically characterised by light and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Vessels with simple perforation plates and tracheids were the principal water conducting cells. Bordered vestured intervessel pits were present in xylem vessel elements. The majority of conduits (89%) were short at 1–5 cm long. Only 2% were 15–16 cm in length. Mean xylem conduit diameter was 77 ± 0.9 µm and the diameter profile showed a normal distribution, with 29% of diameters in the range of 70–80 µm. Simple perforation plates can offer relatively low resistance to water flow. On the other hand, bordered vestured pits and short xylem conduits can confer comparatively high resistance to water flow. Overall, the presence of bordered vestured pits, together with a high proportion of short xylem conduits and high stomatal densities (232 ± 2 mm–2) on unifacial phyllodes, could contribute to early dehydration of A. holosericea cut foliage stems standing in vase water. Further research will relate these anatomical features with changes in Kh and transpiration of cut foliage stems.
Additional keywords: hydraulic resistance, longevity, stomatal distribution, velvet leaf wattle, water uptake.
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