Stronger expression of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) requires effective cuticular transpiration barriers but not necessarily strong succulence.

ABSTRACT: Discovering functional and evolutionary interdependencies of hydraulic traits and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is crucial to understand CAM phenotype diversity and convergence. In complex traits such as CAM, the co-option of associated traits strongly impacts the evolutionary outcome. Here we study Aeonium (Crassulaceae), a diverse Macaronesian genus that exhibits a broad array of CAM expression, focusing on two CAM-associated traits, minimum conductance (g_min) and succulence. At the heart of the study, there are two experiments: a comparative cultivation experiment to monitor nocturnal acidification (ΔH⁺) under drought and heat treatments and a leaf-drying curve experiment to quantify g_min. Our study group was comprehensively sampled to cover its phy

SUBMITTER: Messerschmid TFE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12917466 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature