New Zealand Journal of Botany abstract

Curling and folding of leaves of monocotyledons - a strategy for structural stiffness

MARCUS J. KING
JULIAN F. V. VINCENT *

Industrial Research Ltd.
P. O. Box 20028
Christchurch, New Zealand
*Present address: Centre for Biomimetics, The University, Reading, United Kingdom

WARWICK HARRIS

Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research
P. O. Box 69
Lincoln, New Zealand

Abstract  Leaves of most monocotyledonous plants gain structural stiffness from curling or folding. This is shown to be true of Phormium spp., where the optimisation seems to be for the leaf to gain as much stiffness as possible by curling longitudinally whilst keeping the maximum amount of projected area available for intercepting light. Smaller plants with less leaf fibre have to fold about the midrib to gain this stiffness, which will reduce their projected area more than curling would but reduces the investment in fibre content.

Keywords  bending; leaf folding; leaves; monocotyledons; Phormium; stiffness

B96003

Received 22 December 1995; accepted 25 March 1996

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (235K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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