Hydraulic Strategy of Cactus Root-Stem Junction for Effective Water Transport.

ABSTRACT: Cactus roots function as a hydraulic safety valve by conducting available water quickly and preventing water loss under drought condition. In particular, the root-stem (R-S) junction is responsible for effective water transport by direct coupling of the water absorptive thin roots and the moisture-filled bulky stem. In this study, the morphological features of the R-S junction were observed by using X-ray micro-imaging technique. Their structural and functional characteristics were also elucidated according to a hydrodynamic viewpoint. With regard to the axial water transport through xylem, the R-S junction prevents water leakage by embolizing large-scale vessels with relatively high hydraulic conductivity. In addition, the axial theoretical hydraulic conductivity of xylem vessels from the

SUBMITTER: Kim H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6005991 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature