Intraspecific leaf morphological variation in Quercus dentata Thunb.:a comparison of traditional and geometric morphometric methods,a pilot study

To compare the application of traditional morphometric methods(TMMs)and geometric morphometric methods(GMMs)in the study of intraspecific leaf morphological characters of Quercus dentata,fifteen linear measurement indices and thirteen landmarks of leaves were used to study leaf morphology of three provenances(H1,H2,and H3).In TMMs,principal component analysis(PCA)showed that leaf size–related indices played an important role in population classification.Partial least square(PLS)analysis showed that the main morphological characters affecting leaf size were the average depth of the lobes and the length–width ratios.However,the important indices to distinguish the provenances were circularity,leaf width,and length–width ratio.The results of discriminant analysis(DA)showed that 74.0%of H1,68.0%of H2,and 74.0%of H3 were correctly classified.Cluster analysis showed that the Mahalanobis distances between H1 and H2,H1 and H3,and H2 and H3 were 4.3761,11.4629,and 10.2067,respectively.In GMMs,PCA based on symmetrical components showed that the difference in leaf morphology was mainly due to the changing trend of the leaf apex and base,petiole length,and degree of leaf cracking.PLS analysis showed that there was a significant covariation between the leaf symmetrical components and size:as the leaf enlarged,the widest part gradually moved up,and the shape changed from nearly oval to lanceolate.DA results showed that 86.0%and 78.0%of H1 and H2,70.0%and 80.0%of H1 and H3,and 82.0%and 76.0%of H2 and H3 were correctly classified.Canonical variate analysis results showed that the Mahalanobis distances between H1 and H2,H1 and H3,and H2 and H3 were 1.7238,1.5380,and 1.6329,respectively.Both GMMs and TMMs showed significant differences in morphology among the three Q.dentata provenances,but GMMs had higher classification accuracy and could provide more information about leaf shape,whereas TMMs could provide more information about leaf size.Based on our results,GMMs are promising in the study of leaf morphological variation within Q.dentata provenances.

Geographical differences of leaf traits of the endangered plant Litsea coreana Levl.var.sinensis and its relationship with climate

Seventeen morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaves were selected from five natural populations to explore the variation in leaf traits of Lits ea core ana var.sinensis and the effects of geographical environment on these variations.Nested analysis of variance,multiple comparisons,principal component analysis(PCA),and correlation analysis were conducted to explore the variations within and between populations and their correlation with geographical and climatic factors.Significant differences in the 17 leaf traits were observed within and among populations.On average,the relative contribution of within population variation to total variation was 24.8%,which was lower than among population variation(54.6%).The average differentiation coefficient of the traits was 65.8%,and the average coefficient of variation 11.8%,ranging from6.7%for main vein thickness to 21.4%for petiole length.The PC A results showed that morphological characteristics were divided into two categories,and the level of variation was greater than that of leaf anatomy.Most of the leaf traits were significantly correlated with geography and climate and showed a gradual variation with longitude,latitude,and altitude.In areas with high temperatures,less rainfall,and strong seasonal rainfall,the leaves are larger,longer and thicker.This study shows that variations in leaf traits of L.coreana var.sinensis mainly come from variations among populations.The level of trait differentiation among populations is high and the level of variation within populations low.These findings help further understand leaf morphological characteristics of this species and can provide a valuable reference for the protection and sustainable utilization of this natural resource.

Leaf Vein Variations and Gene Control Mode of Cyclamen Hederifolium

In order to explore the heredity of leaf veins of Cyclamen Hederifolium and to breed excellent varieties, selling measurement for six types of different leaf veins were carried out and the genetie constitutions of leaf veins were studied according to the separation conditions of their progenies. The results showed that the inbred progenies of B or M types were B or M types with a percentage of 100% while the progenies of F, H, X and L types had character segregations. The separa- tion law illustrated that leaf veins of Cyclamen Hederifolium were eontrolled by minor multiple genes and each locus was consisted of a pair of alleles, RL of Rn. RL was responsible for the green phenotype of leaves and RB was responsible for the silvery white phenotype of leaves, leaves were deep green when the genotype of the locus was RLRL ; leaves were green when the genotype was RLRB ; leaves were silvery white when the genotype was RBRB. The aggregafive pattern of each locus formed different leaf vein types. The gene control modes of leaf vein variations were the basis for the breeding of excellent varieties of Cyclamen Hederifolium.

Analysis of variation in temperature-responsive leaf color mutant lines induced from Gamma irradiation in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Eight lines of temperature-responsive leaf colormutants induced by applying 300 Gy Gamma-ray irradiation to Thermo-sensitive genic malesterile line 2177s,were obtained through con-tinuous selection in seven generations..Theleaves of these lines started to become greenafter the fourth leaf extension,and except

Quantifying foliar trait variation and covariation in sun and shade leaves using leaf spectroscopy in eastern North America

Characterizing foliar trait variation in sun and shade leaves can provide insights into inter-and intra-species resource use strategies and plant response to environmental change.However,datasets with records of multiple foliar traits from the same individual and including shade leaves are sparse,which limits our ability to investigate trait-trait,trait-environment relationships and trait coordination in both sun and shade leaves.We presented a comprehensive dataset of 15 foliar traits from sun and shade leaves sampled with leaf spectroscopy,including 424 individuals of 110 plant species from 19 sites across eastern North America.We investigated trait variation,covariation,scaling relationships with leaf mass,and the effects of environment,canopy position,and taxonomy on trait expression.Generally,sun leaves had higher leaf mass per area,nonstructural carbohydrates and total phenolics,lower mass-based chlorophyll a+b,carotenoids,phosphorus,and potassium,but exhibited species-specific characteristics.Covariation between sun and shade leaf traits,and trait-environment relationships were overall consistent across species.The main dimensions of foliar trait variation in seed plants were revealed including leaf economics traits,photosynthetic pigments,defense,and structural traits.Taxonomy and canopy position collectively explained most of the foliar trait variation.This study highlights the importance of including intra-individual and intra-specific trait variation to improve our understanding of ecosystem functions.Our findings have implications for efficient field sampling,and trait mapping with remote sensing.

Leaf stable carbon isotope composition in Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica in relation to leaf physiological and morphological characteristics along an altitudinal gradient

To understand the effects of leaf physiological and morphological characteristics on δ13C of alpine trees, we examined leaf δ13C value, LA, SD, LNC, LPC, LKC, Chla+b, LDMC, LMA and Narea in one-year-old needles of Picea schrenkiana var. tianschanica at ten points along an altitudinal gradient from 1420 m to 2300 m a.s.l. on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in northwest China. Our results indicated that all the leaf traits differed significantly among sampling sites along the altitudinal gradient(P<0.001). LA, SD, LPC, LKC increased linearly with increasing elevation, whereas leaf δ13C, LNC, Chla+b, LDMC, LMA and Narea varied non-linearly with changes in altitude. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that four controlled physiological and morphological characteristics influenced the variation of δ13C. Among these four controlled factors, LKC was the most profound physiological factor that affected δ13C values, LA was the secondary morphological factor, SD was the third morphological factor, LNC was the last physiological factor. This suggested that leaf δ13C was directly controlled by physiological and morphological adjustments with changing environmental conditions due to the elevation.

Variations in leaf characteristics of three species of angiosperms with changing of altitude in Qilian Mountains and their inland high-altitude pattern

In this study, 39 leaf samples of three angiosperms （Betula albo-sinensis, tree species; and Caragana jubata and Berberis diaphana, shrub species） were collected in the middle-east parts at 2300-3640 m asl of the Qilian Mountains to study the varia- tions of leaf characteristics of angiosperms with altitude change in inland high-altitude regions of China. Five leaf indexes, viz. epidermal cell density （ED）, stomatal density （SD）, stomatal index （SI）, leaf vein density （VD） and carbon isotopic ratio （c^13C） were analyzed in laboratory. The results show that there are significant or even very significant linear correlations between the five indexes and altitude, of which SD, SI and VD exhibit a negative correlation with altitude, while ED and Ot3C exhibit a positive correlation with altitude. Such a correlation assemblage is quite different from the situation in the low-altitude humid environment. Generally, only an assemblage of positive correlations can be observed between the indexes （viz. SD, SI and （~3C, etc.） and the altitude in the low-altitude humid environment, which were caused mainly by the plants＇ responses to the change of atmospheric CO2 concentration （Co）. However, an assemblage of the negative and positive correlations found here may be attributed mainly to the plants＇ responses to the change of physiological drought caused by change of low temperature, and here it is preliminarily called the inland high-altitude pattern of plant leaf variations.