| Abstract Detail
Life without water: evolution and adaptation of xeric plants Grace, Olwen [1]. Water storage in succulent plants and its value as a resouce. Specialised water-storing tissue, hydrenchyma, has evolved many times as an adaptation to drought in plant. So-called ‘succulent’ plants comprise a phylogenetically diverse assemblage of thousands of species occurring in drought-prone habitats. All succulent plants use a hydrenchyma reservoir to support metabolism during drought, yet are remarkably diverse in morphology and habitat. Despite the apparently simple arrangement of vacuolated parenchyma cells, the role of hydrenchyma during drought remains incompletely understood. Revisiting classical observations with contemporary methods, however, has shed new light on the mechanistic complexity of the tissue and its function in regulating drought stress. For instance, cell wall folding in Aloe (Asphodelaceae) has recently been shown to be a controlled response to minimise cell damage during the dehydration and rehydration processes. Drought tolerance in xeric succulent plants, in particular, could be particularly relevant to the search for bioresources to meet the challenges of environmental change, but risks of species extinction and invasiveness indicate that this is not straightforward. Here, I will discuss recent advances in the understanding of water-storing tissues and their future value.
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1 - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, UK
Keywords:
hydrenchyma
Succulent
drought tolerance
xeric
climate change
bioresource.
Presentation Type: Symposium Presentation
Session: SYM7, Life without water: evolution and adaptation of xeric plants
Location: Tucson I/Starr Pass
Date: Wednesday, July 31st, 2019
Time: 4:15 PM
Number: SYM7007
Abstract ID:839
Candidate for Awards:None |
