Abstract
Climbing plants are an abundant and taxonomically diverse plant group that competes intensely with trees and thus substantially affects forest diversity and structure. The growth and physiology of climbing plants largely depend on their root tip structure and function. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms through which anatomical traits regulate root tip diameter in climbing plants. Therefore, our study sought to explore the relationships between root tip diameter and seven anatomical traits (e.g., cortex thickness and stele diameter) in three lianas and three vine species sampled from a tropical forest in Hainan. Root tip diameter was significantly positively correlated with cortex thickness ( r = 0.94–0.99) and stele diameter ( r = 0.72–0.94) within species, especially with cortex thickness. Cortex thickness was significantly positively correlated with mean cortical cell diameter in six species ( r = 0.72–0.93), but was only correlated with the number of cortical cell layers in three species ( r = 0.42–0.66). Stele diameter displayed significant positive correlations with mean conduit diameter ( r = 0.58–0.88) and the number of conduits per stele ( r = 0.50–0.66, except for Cyclea hypoglauca ), and was negatively correlated with conduit density in all species ( r = −0.65 to –0.77). The correlations between cortical cells and conduit traits and root tip diameter were similar to that with cortex thickness and stele diameter, respectively. Compared with vines, liana root tips showed closer relationships between root diameter and cortex thickness and stele diameter, and between cortex thickness and mean diameter of cortical cells. Moreover, the root tip of lianas possesses significantly higher stele proportion and denser conduits, significantly lower cortex proportion, and smaller conduit size than those of vines. However, the specific conductivity was similar. Overall, these results suggest that the cortex is the main driver for the change in root tip diameter rather than the stele. Nevertheless, both factors were responsible for variations in diameter-related traits when compared with number-related traits, with lianas and vines exhibiting distinct regulatory mechanisms.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Root tip diameter was positively correlated with cortex thickness within species.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“Root tip diameter was significantly positively correlated with cortex thickness ( r = 0.94–0.99)”
Claim · model-written summary
Root tip diameter was positively correlated with stele diameter within species.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“stele diameter ( r = 0.72–0.94) within species, especially with cortex thickness”
e1“Root tip diameter was significantly positively correlated with cortex thickness”
Claim · model-written summary
Cortex thickness was positively correlated with mean cortical cell diameter in six species.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“Cortex thickness was significantly positively correlated with mean cortical cell diameter in six species ( r = 0.72–0.93)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cortex thickness correlated with cortical cell layer number in only three species.
- Taxon
- tropical climbing plantst0
- Organ / stage
- cortical cell layerse0
- Outcome
- number of cortical cell layerse0
- Value
- r = 0.42–0.66e0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“only correlated with the number of cortical cell layers in three species ( r = 0.42–0.66)”
Claim · model-written summary
Stele diameter was positively correlated with mean conduit diameter.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“Stele diameter displayed significant positive correlations with mean conduit diameter ( r = 0.58–0.88)”
Claim · model-written summary
Stele diameter was positively correlated with conduit number, except in Cyclea hypoglauca.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“the number of conduits per stele ( r = 0.50–0.66, except for Cyclea hypoglauca )”
e1“Stele diameter displayed significant positive correlations”
Claim · model-written summary
Stele diameter was negatively correlated with conduit density in all species.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“negatively correlated with conduit density in all species ( r = −0.65 to –0.77)”
e1“Stele diameter displayed significant positive correlations”
Claim · model-written summary
Cortical cell and conduit trait correlations with root tip diameter resembled their correlations with cortex thickness and stele diameter, respectively.
- Taxon
- tropical climbing plantst0
- Organ / stage
- cortical cells and conduit traitse0
- Outcome
- root tip diametere0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“The correlations between cortical cells and conduit traits and root tip diameter were similar to that with cortex thickness and stele diameter, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Lianas had closer root diameter relationships with cortex thickness and stele diameter than vines.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“Compared with vines, liana root tips showed closer relationships between root diameter and cortex thickness and stele diameter”
Claim · model-written summary
Lianas had a closer cortex thickness relationship with cortical cell diameter than vines.
- Taxon
- tropical climbing plantst0
- Organ / stage
- cortical cellse0
- Outcome
- cortex thicknesse0
- Comparator
- vinese0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“Compared with vines, liana root tips showed closer relationships between root diameter and cortex thickness and stele diameter, and between cortex thickness and mean diameter of cortical cells”
Claim · model-written summary
Liana root tips had higher stele proportion and denser conduits than vines.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“root tip of lianas possesses significantly higher stele proportion and denser conduits”
Claim · model-written summary
Liana root tips had lower cortex proportion and smaller conduits than vines.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“significantly lower cortex proportion, and smaller conduit size than those of vines”
Claim · model-written summary
Specific conductivity was similar between lianas and vines.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“the specific conductivity was similar”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that cortex is the main driver of root tip diameter change.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“the cortex is the main driver for the change in root tip diameter rather than the stele”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that cortex and stele contribute to diameter-related traits, with distinct mechanisms in lianas and vines.
Verbatim
t0“tropical climbing plants”
e0“both factors were responsible for variations in diameter-related traits when compared with number-related traits, with lianas and vines exhibiting distinct regulatory mechanisms”
e1“the cortex is the main driver for the change in root tip diameter rather than the stele”