DOCSLIB.ORG

Stomatal Control, Xylem Hydraulics and Leaf Morphology in the 40 Bef-China Tree Species: Trait Interrelationships, Functional Diversity and Tree Growth Prediction

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Stomatal Control, Xylem Hydraulics and Leaf Morphology in the 40 Bef-China Tree Species: Trait Interrelationships, Functional Diversity and Tree Growth Prediction STOMATAL CONTROL, XYLEM HYDRAULICS AND LEAF MORPHOLOGY IN THE 40 BEF-CHINA TREE SPECIES: TRAIT INTERRELATIONSHIPS, FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY AND TREE GROWTH PREDICTION Kumulative Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) der Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät I Biowissenschaften der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg vorgelegt von Herrn Diplom-Biologen Wenzel Kröber geboren am 30.10.1982 in Halle (Saale) Gutachter 1. Helge Bruelheide 2. Stan Harpole 3. Karsten Wesche Datum der Verteidigung: 24.02.2015 “My precious” John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1937) Copyright notice Chapters 2 to 5 have been either published in or submitted to international journals. Copyright is with the authors. Reprint of the presented material requires the authors’ permissions, except for chapter 3, which has been published open access. Table of Contents Chapter 1 .................................................................................................................................... 1! 1.1 Summary .......................................................................................................................... 1! 1.2 .................................................................................................................................. 3! 1.3 Zusammenfassung ............................................................................................................ 5! 1.4 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7! 1.4.1 How is biodiversity linked to ecosystem functioning? ............................................. 7! 1.4.2 Plant functional traits ................................................................................................. 8! 1.4.3 Are ecosystem functions better explained by the environment, by community weighted means or by functional diversity? ............................................................ 14! 1.5 Objectives of the thesis ................................................................................................... 16! 1.5.1 Outline ..................................................................................................................... 17! 1.5.2 Hypotheses tested in the thesis ................................................................................ 19! 1.6 References ...................................................................................................................... 21! Chapter 2 .................................................................................................................................. 29 Transpiration and stomatal control: a cross-species study of leaf traits in 39 evergreen and deciduous broadleaved subtropical tree species Chapter 3 .................................................................................................................................. 47 Linking xylem hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to the leaf economics spectrum – a cross-species study of 39 evergreen and deciduous broadleaved subtropical tree species Chapter 4 .................................................................................................................................. 75 Leaf morphology of 40 evergreen and deciduous broadleaved subtropical tree species and relationships to functional ecophysiological traits Chapter 5 .................................................................................................................................. 89 Early subtropical forest growth is driven by community mean trait values and functional diversity rather than the abiotic environment Chapter 6 ................................................................................................................................ 119! 6.1 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 119! 6.1.1 Stomatal conductance regulation ........................................................................... 120! 6.1.2 Xylem hydraulics .................................................................................................. 121! 6.1.3 Leaf microscopy traits ........................................................................................... 123! 6.1.4 Biodiversity, traits & ecosystem functioning ........................................................ 124! 6.1.5 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 126! 6.2 References .................................................................................................................... 129! 6.3 Thanks .......................................................................................................................... 145! 6.4 Appendix ...................................................................................................................... 146! 6.4.1 Curriculum vitae .................................................................................................... 146! 6.4.2 List of publications ................................................................................................ 148! 6.4.3 Eigenständigkeitserklärung ................................................................................... 149! Chapter 1 1.1 Summary Research on biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) has undergone considerable progress especially due to lessons learned in BEF experiments lately. With 400.000 trees and shrubs planted in 566 plots and a tree species diversity gradient between 1 and 24 species per plot, BEF-China is one of the largest BEF experiments with woody plants. The present thesis consists of four papers all based on data from the BEF-China tree species. The first three studies that form part of this thesis deal with the interrelationships of plant functional traits in the 40 subtropical broadleaved tree species planted in the BEF-China experiment. Investigating the interplay between different plant functional traits, this thesis addressed the following questions: How are traits related to each other and are there any ecophysiologically determined trade-offs in different trait complexes such as xylem hydraulics and stomatal regulation parameters? Are these ecophysiological characteristics related to leaf traits captured by the leaf economics spectrum (LES)? Several new key parameters that describe stomata conductance (gS) regulation were extracted from gS-vapour pressure deficit curves. As hypothesized, traits characteristic for the LES, for example, leaf nitrogen concentration and leaf carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, were related to mean gS. Interestingly, other leaf traits not correlated with the LES, such as stomatal traits, were found to be good predictors of stomatal regulation characteristics. Water flow in vascular plants connects xylem hydraulics and leaf morphology and anatomy. The quantification of the specific xylem hydraulic conductivity and the xylem pressure at which 50% loss of the maximum specific xylem hydraulic conductivity of the study species occurs (Ψ50) revealed that cavitation resistance was closely linked to the traits of the LES, but not to any parameter of gS regulation though. Moreover, several leaf traits that typically are not considered in research, for instance, microscopy and morphologic traits such as leaf thickness, the log ratio of palisade to spongy mesophyll thickness and microstructure of the leaf surface, determined gS regulation significantly. For xylem hydraulics, however, the leaf habit overruled any further signal from other traits. Although analysis of plant functional traits represents a reliable approach in biodiversity ecology, BEF studies that would focus on the parallel analysis of the impact of biotic and abiotic effects on ecosystem functions such as productivity in forest ecosystems have been scarce so far. Thus, the dominant drivers of forest growth like the environment, the identity of 1 specific species or the magnitude of functional diversity in the respective communities have not been fully understood yet. The fourth study focused on the impact that the following factors may have on the mean tree crown increment of the experimental plots: the environmental conditions, community weighted mean (CWM) traits or functional diversity. The trait values aggregated in CWM displayed the biggest effect on the variation in productivity of the forest plots; FD scored medium impact whereas the environment, contrary to expectation, had only a very limited impact. Thus, already at an early stage of the experiment, biotic influences overruled effects from the environmental setting. Summing up, this thesis provides deeper insight into stomatal control and contributes to the knowledge about xylem vulnerability and morphological proxies for physiological leaf traits. In addition, a framework to predict ecosystem functioning was tested and environment was found to be the least important parameter. The results of this thesis demonstrate that the specific plant functional traits employed in BEF research should be chosen carefully in order to maximize methodological efficiency and to minimize unwanted data redundancy. 2 1.2 BEF- ChinaBEF566 4024 BEF-China40 40 - LES 3 BEF 4 1.3 Zusammenfassung Die Biodiversitätsforschung auf ökosystemarer Ebene hat vor allem durch Erkenntnisse aus Experimenten, die den Zusammenhang zwischen Diversität und Ökosystemfunktionen untersuchen, beträchtliche Fortschritte
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Monofloral Triadica Cochinchinensis Honey Polyphenols Improve Alcohol-Induced Liver Disease by Regulating the Gut Microbiota Of
    ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 21 May 2021 doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.673903 Monofloral Triadica Cochinchinensis Honey Polyphenols Improve Alcohol- Induced Liver Disease by Regulating the Gut Microbiota of Mice Liping Luo 1,2, Jinping Zhang 1, Mingyan Liu 1, Shengrong Qiu 1, Shengxiang Yi 1, Wenjie Yu 1, Tao Liu 1, Xueyong Huang 1 and Fangjian Ning 1,2* 1 School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China, 2 State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China Honey produced from medicinal plants holds great promise for human health. Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota plays an important role in liver pathology after alcohol intake. The aim of this study was to identify the polyphenol composition of triadica Edited by: Kai Wang, cochinchinensis honey (TCH), and to study the potential effect of honey polyphenols on Chinese Academy of Agricultural the regulation of gut microbes in mice with alcohol-induced liver injury and the Sciences (CAAS), China improvement of alcohol-induced liver disease. For these purposes, a total of 190 Reviewed by: compounds were identified and 27 of them were quantified by ultraperformance liquid Xiaofeng Xue, Chinese Academy of Agricultural chromatography coupled with quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/ Sciences, China TOF-MS) and we successfully established a mouse model of alcohol-induced liver injury. Ni Cheng, fi Northwest University, China The results show that TCH polyphenols can signi cantly restore the levels of ALT and AST, Wei Cao, and TCH intervention can significantly improve the pathological changes of liver tissue in Northwest University, China alcohol-exposed mice.
    [Show full text]
  • Bioactive Compounds in Nuts and Edible Seeds: Focusing on Brazil Nuts and Baru Almond of the Amazon and Cerrado Brazilian Biomes
    Review Article SM Journal of Bioactive Compounds in Nuts and Nutrition and Edible Seeds: Focusing on Brazil Nuts Metabolism and Baru Almond of the Amazon and Cerrado Brazilian Biomes Egea MB1*, Lima DS1, Lodete AR1 and Takeuchi K1,2* 1Science and Technology, Goiano Institute of Education, Brazil 2Faculty of Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Brazil Article Information Abstract Received date: Oct 09, 2017 The biodiversity of the Amazon and Cerrado biomes is extremely important for the populations that inhabit Accepted date: Nov 14, 2017 these areas, through the extractive collection of non-timber forest products such as fruits, nuts and edible seeds, which generate income and employment. Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) is native from South America being Published date: Nov 20, 2017 found in the Amazon biome and baru almond (Dipteryx alata Vog.) is native from the Cerrado biome; these are part of the group of oleaginous that can be classified as true nuts and edible seeds, respectively. Both *Corresponding author are important sources of micronutrients that have been associated with several benefits to human health due to the presence of high levels of biologically active compounds such as minerals and vitamins. Minerals act Egea MB, Science and Technology, mostly as cofactors in various reactions, selenium has high availability in Brazil nuts and from selenocysteine Goiano Institute of Education, Brazil, and its enzymes, it exerts functions in the human body as an antioxidant, regulator of thyroid hormones and Tel: +55 64 36205636; protection of cardiovascular diseases. Among vitamins, tocopherol is a precursor to vitamin E, present in both Brazil nut and baru almond, being found in the form of α-tocopherol and having a role in the prevention of various Email: [email protected] diseases, including: cancer, diabetes, cataracts and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
    [Show full text]
  • The Use of Barcoding Sequences for the Construction of Phylogenetic Relationships in the Euphorbiaceae
    University of Padova Department of Land, Environment Agriculture and Forestry MSc in Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management The use of barcoding sequences for the construction of phylogenetic relationships in the Euphorbiaceae Supervisor: Alessandro Vannozzi Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. Oliver Gailing Submitted by: Bikash Kharel Matriculation No. 1177536 ACADEMIC YEAR 2017/2018 Acknowledgments This dissertation has come to this positive end through the collective efforts of several people and organizations: from rural peasants to highly academic personnel and institutions around the world. Without their mental, physical and financial support this research would not have been possible. I would like to express my gratitude to all of them who were involved directly or indirectly in this endeavor. To all of them, I express my deep appreciation. Firstly, I am thankful to Prof. Dr. Oliver Gailing for providing me the opportunity to conduct my thesis on this topic. I greatly appreciate my supervisor Alessandro Vannozzi for providing the vision regarding Forest Genetics and DNA barcoding. My cordial thanks and heartfelt gratitude goes to him whose encouragements, suggestions and comments made this research possible to shape in this form. I am also thankful to Prof. Dr. Konstantin V. Krutovsky for his guidance in each and every step of this research especially helping me with the CodonCode software and reviewing the thesis. I also want to thank Erasmus Mundus Programme for providing me with a scholarship for pursuing Master’s degree in Mediterranean Forestry and Natural Resources Management (MEDFOR) course. Besides this, I would like to thank all my professors who broadened my knowledge during the period of my study in University of Lisbon and University of Padova.
    [Show full text]
  • Stillingia: a Newly Recorded Genus of Euphorbiaceae from China
    Phytotaxa 296 (2): 187–194 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) http://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ PHYTOTAXA Copyright © 2017 Magnolia Press Article ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.296.2.8 Stillingia: A newly recorded genus of Euphorbiaceae from China SHENGCHUN LI1, 2, BINGHUI CHEN1, XIANGXU HUANG1, XIAOYU CHANG1, TIEYAO TU*1 & DIANXIANG ZHANG1 1 Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China 2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China * Corresponding author, email: [email protected] Abstract Stillingia (Euphorbiaceae) contains ca. 30 species from Latin America, the southern United States, and various islands in the tropical Pacific and in the Indian Ocean. We report here for the first time the occurrence of a member of the genus in China, Stillingia lineata subsp. pacifica. The distribution of the genus in China is apparently narrow, known only from Pingzhou and Wanzhou Islands of the Wanshan Archipelago in the South China Sea, which is close to the Pearl River estuary. This study updates our knowledge on the geographic distribution of the genus, and provides new palynological data as well. Key words: Island, Hippomaneae, South China Sea, Stillingia lineata Introduction During the last decade, hundreds of new plant species or new species records have been added to the flora of China. Nevertheless, newly described or newly recorded plant genera are not discovered and reported very often, suggesting that botanical expedition and plant survey at the generic level may be advanced in China. As far as we know, only six and eight angiosperm genera respectively have been newly described or newly recorded from China within the last ten years (Qiang et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Fats Ebook Feb 02.Pdf
    2 DRHYMAN.COM Contents Contents INTRODUCTION ................................. 8 PART I ........................................... 11 Dietary Fats: The Good, Bad and the Ugly ............................................ 11 Fatty Acids ............................................................................................ 11 Saturated Fat ........................................................................................ 12 Polyunsaturated Fats ............................................................................ 14 Essential Fatty Acids 101- Omega-3 and Omega-6 ............................... 14 The Beneficial Omega-6 Fatty Acid: GLA ............................................... 16 How Fatty Acids Affect Brain Health ..................................................... 17 Omega-7 Fatty Acids ............................................................................ 18 Monounsaturated Fat ............................................................................ 18 Trans Fats ............................................................................................. 20 Trans Fats and Health ........................................................................... 21 Toxins in Fat .......................................................................................... 22 A Case for Organic ................................................................................ 23 DRHYMAN.COM 3 PART II .......................................... 24 Animal Fats .......................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Systematics, Climate, and Ecology of Fossil and Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) and Implications of Nyssa Grayensis Sp
    East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 8-2013 Systematics, Climate, and Ecology of Fossil and Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) and Implications of Nyssa grayensis sp. nov. from the Gray Fossil Site, Northeast Tennessee Nathan R. Noll East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Biodiversity Commons, Climate Commons, Paleontology Commons, and the Plant Biology Commons Recommended Citation Noll, Nathan R., "Systematics, Climate, and Ecology of Fossil and Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) and Implications of Nyssa grayensis sp. nov. from the Gray Fossil Site, Northeast Tennessee" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1204. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1204 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Systematics, Climate, and Ecology of Fossil and Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) and Implications of Nyssa grayensis sp. nov. from the Gray Fossil Site, Northeast Tennessee ___________________________ A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Biology ___________________________ by Nathan R. Noll August 2013 ___________________________ Dr. Yu-Sheng (Christopher) Liu, Chair Dr. Tim McDowell Dr. Foster Levy Keywords: Nyssa, Endocarp, Gray Fossil Site, Miocene, Pliocene, Karst ABSTRACT Systematics, Climate, and Ecology of Fossil and Extant Nyssa (Nyssaceae, Cornales) and Implications of Nyssa grayensis sp.
    [Show full text]
  • Fl. China 11: 284–285. 2008. 69. TRIADICA Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 2
    Fl. China 11: 284–285. 2008. 69. TRIADICA Loureiro, Fl. Cochinch. 2: 598, 610. 1790. 乌桕属 wu jiu shu Li Bingtao (李秉滔 Li Ping-tao); Hans-Joachim Esser Sapium sect. Triadica (Loureiro) Müller Argoviensis. Trees or shrubs, monoecious or sometimes dioecious; indumentum absent; latex white. Leaves alternate or nearly opposite; petioles with 1 or 2 apical glands; leaf blade margin entire or serrate; venation pinnate, lowermost pair of veins originating at very leaf base, forming basal margin. Inflorescences terminal or axillary, spikelike or racemelike thyrses, sometimes branched; bracts with 2 large abaxial glands at base. Male flowers small, yellow, fascicled in axils of bracts; calyx membranous, cup-shaped, shallowly 2- or 3-lobed or -dentate; petals absent; disk absent; stamens 2–3; filaments free; anthers 2-celled, longitudinally dehiscent; pistillode absent. Female flowers larger than male, 1 per bract; calyx cup-shaped, 3-partite, or cylindric and 3-dentate, rarely 2- or 3-sepaled; petals absent; disk absent; ovary 2- or 3-celled; ovules 1 per cell; styles usually 3, free or connate at base; stigma revolute, entire. Capsules globose, pyriform or 3-valved, rarely baccate, usually 3-celled, loculicidal, sometimes irregularly dehiscent. Seeds subglobose, usually covered by waxy aril; exocarp hard; endosperm fleshy; cotyledon broad and flattened. Three species: E and S Asia; three species in China. 1a. Petiole with a single gland above; leaf blade subrotund, base cordate to rounded, apex rounded or rarely acute or incised .................................................................................................................................................................... 3. T. rotundifolia 1b. Petiole with a pair of glands above; leaf blade ovate to elliptic, base cuneate to obtuse (very rarely rounded), apex acute to acuminate.
    [Show full text]
  • Parklane Elementary Global Forest Tree Walk
    Parklane Elementary Global Forest Tree Walk LEARNING LANDSCAPES Parklane Elementary Global Forest Tree Walk 2015 Learning Landscapes Site data collected in Summer 2014. Written by: Kat Davidson, Karl Dawson, Angie DiSalvo, Jim Gersbach and Jeremy Grotbo Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry 503-823-TREE [email protected] http://portlandoregon.gov/parks/learninglandscapes Cover photos (from top left to bottom right): 1) Cones and foliage of a monkey puzzle tree. 2) The fall color of a Nothofagus alpina. 3) Cupressus dupreziana in its native range. 4) Students plant and water a young tree. 5) The infl orescence of a Muskogee crape myrtle. 6) Closeup of budding fl owers on a sycoparrotia twig. 7) The brightly-colored fruit of the igiri tree. 8) The fl ower of a Xanthoceras sorbifolium. ver. 1/30/2015 Portland Parks & Recreation 1120 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 1302 Portland, Oregon 97204 (503) 823-PLAY Commissioner Amanda Fritz www.PortlandParks.org Director Mike Abbaté The Learning Landscapes Program Parklane Elementary School The fi rst planting at the Parklane Elementary Global Forest Learning Landscape was in 1999, and since then, the collection has grown to nearly 80 trees. This tree walk identifi es trees planted as part of the Learning Landscape as well as other interesting specimens at the school. What is a Learning Landscape? A Learning Landscape is a collection of trees planted and cared for at a school by students, volunteers, and Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) Urban Forestry staff. Learning Landscapes offer an outdoor educational experience for students, as well as environmental and aesthetic benefi ts to the school and surrounding neighborhood.
    [Show full text]
  • Edible Seeds
    List of edible seeds This list of edible seeds includes seeds that are directly 1 Cereals foodstuffs, rather than yielding derived products. See also: Category:Cereals True cereals are the seeds of certain species of grass. Quinoa, a pseudocereal Maize A variety of species can provide edible seeds. Of the six major plant parts, seeds are the dominant source of human calories and protein.[1] The other five major plant parts are roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Most ed- ible seeds are angiosperms, but a few are gymnosperms. The most important global seed food source, by weight, is cereals, followed by legumes, and nuts.[2] The list is divided into the following categories: • Cereals (or grains) are grass-like crops that are har- vested for their dry seeds. These seeds are often ground to make flour. Cereals provide almost half of all calories consumed in the world.[3] Botanically, true cereals are members of the Poaceae, the true grass family. A mixture of rices, including brown, white, red indica and wild rice (Zizania species) • Pseudocereals are cereal crops that are not Maize, wheat, and rice account for about half of the grasses. calories consumed by people every year.[3] Grains can be ground into flour for bread, cake, noodles, and other • Legumes including beans and other protein-rich food products. They can also be boiled or steamed, ei- soft seeds. ther whole or ground, and eaten as is. Many cereals are present or past staple foods, providing a large fraction of the calories in the places that they are eaten.
    [Show full text]
  • Downloaded from Brill.Com10/09/2021 12:24:23AM Via Free Access 2 IAWA Journal, Vol
    IAWA Journal, Vol. 26 (1), 2005: 1-68 WOOD ANATOMY OF THE SUBFAMILY EUPHORBIOIDEAE A comparison with subfamilies Crotonoideae and Acalyphoideae and the implications for the circumscription of the Euphorbiaceae Alberta M. W. Mennega Nationaal Herbarium Nederland, Utrecht University branch, Heidelberglaan 2, 3584 es Utrecht, The Netherlands SUMMARY The wood anatomy was studied of 82 species from 34 out of 54 genera in the subfamily Euphorbioideae, covering all five tribes recognized in this subfamily. In general the woods show a great deal of similarity. They are charac­ terized by a relative paucity of vessels, often arranged in short to long, dumbbell-shaped or twin, radial multiples, and by medium-sized to large intervessel pits; fibres often have gelatinous walls; parenchyma apotracheal in short, wavy, narrow bands and diffuse-in-aggregates; mostly uni- or only locally biseriate rays, strongly heterocellular (except Hippomane, Hura and Pachystroma). Cell contents, either silica or crystals, or both together, are nearly always present and often useful in distinguishing between genera. Radiallaticifers were noticed in most genera, though they are scarce and difficult to trace. The laticifers are generally not surrounded by special cells, except in some genera of the subtribe Euphorbiinae where radiallaticifers are comparatively frequent and conspicuous. Three ofthe five tribes show a great deal of conformity in their anatomy. Stomatocalyceae, however, stand apart from the rest by the combination of the scarcity of vessels, and mostly biseriate, vertically fused and very tall rays. Within Euphorbieae the subtribe Euphorbiinae shows a greater vari­ ation than average, notably in vessel pitting, the frequent presence of two­ celled parenchyma strands, and in size and frequency of the laticifers.
    [Show full text]
  • Nyssa Sinensis
    A Study in Scarlet: Nyssa sinensis Nancy Rose y favorite “old reliables” for fall color borne in axillary clusters and male flowers at the Arboretum include the pure are produced along older branches. The small Mgold foliage of sweet birch (Betula greenish flowers are inconspicuous but they are lenta), the fiery red-orange-yellow display of extremely attractive to honeybees (N. ogeche, Korean maple (Acer pseudosieboldianum), and which has a limited native range primarily in the glossy burgundy leaves of Euonymus carno- southern Georgia and northern Florida, is the sus. That’s just a start, though, and one of the source for prized tupelo honey). The fruit of delights of wandering the Arboretum repeatedly Chinese tupelo is a dark blue oblong drupe that in autumn is discovering new spots of color. is readily eaten by birds. A few years ago, on a gray mid-November day Taxonomy references place Nyssa either in when many trees were already bare, I was drawn Cornaceae (the dogwood family) or in its own to a cluster of brilliant scarlet and orange leaves family, Nyssaceae. The genus name Nyssa remaining on a tree branch. The tree, it turned comes from Greek mythology and refers to a out, was Chinese tupelo, Nyssa sinensis. water (or rain) nymph named Nyssa (or Nysa), This was a new species to me, but I certainly one of the nymphs who cared for Dionysus, knew another species in the genus, Nyssa syl- god of wine, as a child (the location where the vatica, known by the common names sour gum, water nymphs sheltered Dionysus and where black gum, tupelo, black tupelo, pepperidge, or, he invented wine is known as Mount Nyssa).
    [Show full text]
  • The Plant List
    the list A Companion to the Choosing the Right Plants Natural Lawn & Garden Guide a better way to beautiful www.savingwater.org Waterwise garden by Stacie Crooks Discover a better way to beautiful! his plant list is a new companion to Choosing the The list on the following pages contains just some of the Right Plants, one of the Natural Lawn & Garden many plants that can be happy here in the temperate Pacific T Guides produced by the Saving Water Partnership Northwest, organized by several key themes. A number of (see the back panel to request your free copy). These guides these plants are Great Plant Picks ( ) selections, chosen will help you garden in balance with nature, so you can enjoy because they are vigorous and easy to grow in Northwest a beautiful yard that’s healthy, easy to maintain and good for gardens, while offering reasonable resistance to pests and the environment. diseases, as well as other attributes. (For details about the GPP program and to find additional reference materials, When choosing plants, we often think about factors refer to Resources & Credits on page 12.) like size, shape, foliage and flower color. But the most important consideration should be whether a site provides Remember, this plant list is just a starting point. The more the conditions a specific plant needs to thrive. Soil type, information you have about your garden’s conditions and drainage, sun and shade—all affect a plant’s health and, as a particular plant’s needs before you purchase a plant, the a result, its appearance and maintenance needs.
    [Show full text]