Claim · model-written summary
Conduit diameter increased predictably with distance from the stem apex, with a slope of 0.22, closely matching theoretical expectations for hydraulically optimal widening.
- Taxon
- woody plantst0
- Outcome
- conduit diametere0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- slope of 0.22e0
- Qualifier
- closely matching theoretical expectations for hydraulically optimal wideninge0
Not reportedMaterialGeneCompoundOrgan / stageInteractorInteractor roleSecond interactorSecond interactor roleTreatmentComparatorSetting
Verbatim
t0“stems of woody plants”
e0“conduit diameter increased predictably with distance from the apex, with a slope of 0.22, closely matching theoretical expectations for hydraulically optimal widening”
Title
Da Vinci's mischief: xylem conduits in the stems of woody plants do not furcate
Gilberto Alemán‐Sancheschúlz; Tommaso Anfodillo; Ana Isabel Pérez‐Maussán; et al. New Phytologist 2026. doi:10.1111/nph.71097
Other claims from this paper (4)
- Observation Xylem conduit number remained constant between the base and tip of unbranched stem segments in woody species, showing no evidence of furcation.
- Mechanism The results are interpreted as supporting a Widened Pipe Model in which conductance is maintained through conduit widening rather than multiplication.
- Mechanism The authors suggest that the absence of furcation means da Vinci's rule of area-preserving branching does not apply within stems.
- Recommendation The authors conclude that core assumptions in models of tree hydraulic design need to be revisited.