ArticleAnnals of botany2023
Leaf optical properties and photosynthesis of fern species with a wide range of divergence time in relation to mesophyll anatomy.
Article in Annals of botany, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Quantification of plant structure-function relationships through micro-CT imaging-based finite element modeling.The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology · 2026Review
- Quantifying Annual Photon Absorption in 55 Bamboo Species: A Standardized Modeling Approach Using Peak-Season Leaf Optical Traits and Long-Term Radiation Data.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Variation in leaf mesophyll anatomy of fern species imposes significant effects on leaf gas exchange, light capture, and leaf hydraulic conductance.Photosynthetica · 2023Article
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9 authors.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsFor a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of changing plant photosynthetic capacity during plant evolutionary history, knowledge of leaf gas exchange and optical properties are essential, both of which relate strongly to mesophyll anatomy. Although ferns are suitable for investigating the evolutionary history of photosynthetic capacity, comprehensive research of fern species has yet to be undertaken in this regard.
methodsWe investigated leaf optical properties, gas exchange and mesophyll anatomy of fern species with a wide range of divergence time, using 66 ferns from natural habitats and eight glasshouse-grown ferns. We used a spectroradiometer and an integrating sphere to measure light absorptance and reflectance by the leaves. KEY
resultsThe more newly divergent fern species had a thicker mesophyll, a larger surface area of chloroplasts facing the intercellular airspaces (Sc), thicker cell walls and large light absorptance. Although no trend with divergence time was obtained in leaf photosynthetic capacity on a leaf-area basis, when the traits were expressed on a mesophyll-thickness basis, trends in leaf photosynthetic capacity became apparent. On a mesophyll-thickness basis, the more newly divergent species had a low maximum photosynthesis rate, accompanied by a low Sc.
conclusionsWe found a strong link between light capture, mesophyll anatomy and photosynthesis rate in fern species for the first time. The thick mesophyll of the more newly divergent ferns does not necessarily relate to the high photosynthetic capacity on a leaf-area basis. Rather, the thick mesophyll accompanied by thick cell walls allowed the ferns to adapt to a wider range of environments through increasing leaf toughness, which would contribute to the diversification of fern species.
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