Woolly and overlapping leaves dampen temperature fluctuations in reproductive organ of an alpine Himalayan forb  

作　　者：De-Li Peng Yang Niu Bo Song Jian-Guo Chen Zhi-Min Li Yang Yang Hang Sun 

机构地区：[1]Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia,Kunming Institute of Botany,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Kunming 650201,Yunnan,China [2]Institute of Ecology and Geobotany,Yunnan University,Kunming 650091,China [3]University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,100049,China [4]School of Life Sciences,Yunnan Normal University,Kunming 650500,Yunnan,China

出　　处：《Journal of Plant Ecology》2015年第2期159-165,共7页植物生态学报（英文版）

基　　金：Natural National Science Foundation of China(U1136601 to H.S.,31360049 to Z.M.L.and 31270005,31470321 to Y.Y.);Strategic Priority Research Program(B)of the Chinese Academy of Science(XDB03030112 to H.S.).

摘　　要：Aims studying the ecological significance of highly specialized morpho-logical traits evolved by alpine plants could help us to understand the adaptation and evolution of these plants under severe alpine environ-ment.We explored the adaptive significance of woolly and overlap-ping leaves for reproduction in Eriophyton wallichii,a perennial herb native to the subnival belt of the Himalaya-Hengduan mountains.Methods We examined whether the trichomes could influence the leaf wet-tability,temperature and leaf reflectance spectra in the lab.and we investigated the thermal benefits of the woolly and overlapping leaves for flowers and fruits in the field.Pollen viability and seed germination were also examined in the lab to assess whether these leaves enhance reproductive fitness.Important Findingsour results showed that dense trichomes impart good water repel-lency,absorption of solar radiation and accumulation of leaf heat.The woolly and overlapping leaves increased the interior tempera-ture of flowers and fruits to an optimal level on sunny hours,but prevented them from overheating when transient intense solar radi-ation occurs.This kept optimal temperatures in plants’reproduc-tive organs,thus promoting the development of pollen and seed in alpine environment.

关 键 词：buffer effect Eriophyton wallichii OVERHEATING subnival belt TRICHOMES water repellency 

分 类 号：Q94[生物学—植物学]