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)
This year's abstracts |Journal home page |All abstracts | Publishing home page
