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AOBPreview published online on July 9, 2003
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mcg149
© 2003 by Annals of Botany Company
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Submitted on February 10, 2003
Revised on April 23, 2003
Accepted on May 26, 2003

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

SOPHIA RHIZOPOULOU1 and GEORGE K. PSARAS2*

Affiliation of the authors: 1 Section of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Athens, Athens 157 81, Greece; 2 Section of Plant Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras 265 00, Greece

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: g.k.psaras{at}upatras.gr.

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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