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AOBPreview originally published online on July 9, 2003
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Annals of Botany 92: 377-383, 2003
© 2003 Annals of Botany Company

Development and Structure of Drought-tolerant Leaves of the Mediterranean Shrub Capparis spinosa L.

SOPHIA RHIZOPOULOU1 and GEORGE K. PSARAS*,2

1 Section of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Athens 157 81, Greece and 2 Section of Plant Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras 265 00, Greece

* For correspondence. Fax +3 2610 997411, e-mail: g.k.psaras{at}upatras.gr

Received: 10 February 2003; Returned for revision: 23 April 2003; Accepted: 26 May 2003    Published electronically: 9 July 2003

Capparis spinosa (caper), a winter-deciduous perennial shrub, is a consistent floristic element of Mediterranean ecosystems, growing from May to October, i.e. entirely during the prolonged summer drought. The internal architecture of young and fully expanded leaves was studied, along with certain physiological characteristics. Capparis spinosa possesses thick, amphistomatic and homobaric leaves with a multilayered mesophyll. The latter possesses an increased number of photosynthesizing cells per unit leaf surface, a large surface area of mesophyll cells facing intercellular spaces (Smes) and a low percentage of intercellular space per tissue volume. Smes and chlorophyll content attain their maximum values synchronously, slightly before full leaf expansion. Nitrogen investment is also completed before full leaf expansion. The structural features, in combination with the water status, could contribute to enhanced rates of transpiration and photosynthesis under field water shortage conditions.

Key words: Amphistomaty, drought tolerance, leaf development, water relations.


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