Do woody vines use gelatinous fibers to climb?

What is it about?

Climbing woody vines display one of the most dramatic examples of plant mobility, able to twist and turn in an effort to climb to the top of the canopy. So, how do they do it? In this study, we show that the stems of twining vines utilize the same cell type found in coiling tendrils, self-erecting trees, and contractile roots: gelatinous fibers. Our findings suggest that gelatinous fibers are utilized to contort vine stems, and are broadly fundamental to plant movement.

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