Physiological adaptation and plasticity to water stress of coastal and desert populations ofHeliotropium curassavicumL.

✍ Scribed by J. Roy; H. A. Mooney

• Book ID: 104743332
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1982
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 698 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0029-8549
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00367961

✦ Synopsis

In spite of the ten times higher evaporative demand in a desert versus a coastal habitat, plants of populations of Heliotropium curassavicum from both show similar stomatal conductances in the field as well as under controlled conditions. The desert plants however have a plastic stomatal response to dry air growing conditions which results in a greater photosynthetic performance at negative water potentials. The root and stem resistance to water flow is lower in the desert plants resulting in the maintenance of a high transpiration rate without a large reduction in water potential.