Functional traits of the early spring flowering Asphodelus ramosus

What is it about?

In this study functional micromorphological traits and water repellent attributes of floral and leaf surfaces of Asphodelus ramosus are presented. The branched inflorescences of A. ramosus bear numerous short-lived flowers arranged on tall flowering stalks, while the basal long-tapered leaves are long-lived. The most striking feature of the short-lived flowers of A. ramosus is the surface structure of the coloured midrib and the white bilateral sections of tepals, revealing different functionality between the two sections of tepals and the two sides of the corollas. Structural features of adaxial and abaxial epidermal cells may function predominantly for water repellence of floral tissues expanded during the humid period of the year. The leaves are more water repellent than the tepals and display declining water retention on their surfaces. It appears that micro- and nano-scale patterns observed on leaf and tepal surfaces of A. ramosus are linked to hydrophobic properties, which are important adaptive traits contributing to the seasonal performance of A. ramosus in the field, particularly in regard to water adhesion.

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Why is it important?

The topography of the adaxial and abaxial white bilateral and coloured midrib sections of tepal surfaces of A. ramosus reveal features linked to the ephemeral performance of flowers arranged around tall flowering stalks. Adaxial tepal surfaces differ from the abaxial tepal surfaces. In particular, the surface microsculpture (from a few hundred nanometers to a few micrometers wide) may contribute to hydrophobic properties and water status of the short-lived floral tissues potentially differing between adaxial and abaxial surfaces, as well as between white and coloured sections of tepals. Also, nanometric structural features of the epidermal relief render larger surface tepal areas than the projected tepal areas. The leaf hydrophobic properties contribute to both the maintenance of photosynthetic activity and removal of soil particles, whenever the leaves touch the ground. It is likely that the tepal- and leaf-surfaces of A. ramosus perform pheno-morphological features related to eco-physiological functions and needed to adapt their lifespan to the seasonality of their habitat.