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Sectorial root growth in cuttings of Coleus rehneltianus in response to localized aerial defoliation

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Abstract

Asymmetries in root growth in response to localized aerial defoliation were examined in Coleus rehneltianus (Lamiaceae). We confirmed that assimilate transport was sectorial by examining the distribution of 14C-labeled carbohydrates following a 24-h chase period. Integrated physiological units (IPUs), or sectors, extended from the leaves into the roots, and this was reflected in the differential growth of roots following artificial defoliation of part of the leaf canopy. When defoliation was localized within leaves or leaf halves within sectors, roots grew asymmetrically, with decreased root growth in defoliated sectors. Three root populations were identified by their location and growth responses: stem side, stem corner, and bottom side roots, and asymmetric growth was observed in all three populations. Only the growth of stem corner roots, which made up 35–90% of dry mass of the total root population, was influenced by the pattern of aerial defoliation. In contrast, asymmetries in the growth of the other two root populations appeared to reflect the distribution of leaf biomass prior to defoliation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Indiana University, 47405, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Nathan Murphy & Maxine A. Watson

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  1. Nathan Murphy
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  2. Maxine A. Watson
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Murphy, N., Watson, M.A. Sectorial root growth in cuttings of Coleus rehneltianus in response to localized aerial defoliation. Vegetatio 127, 17–23 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00054843

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