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Plant function and evolutionary biology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Leaf hydraulic vulnerability protects stem functionality under drought stress in Salvia officinalis

Tadeja Savi A D , Maria Marin A B , Jessica Luglio A , Francesco Petruzzellis A , Sefan Mayr C and Andrea Nardini A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università di Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127 Trieste, Italia.

B Scotia Seeds, Mavisbank, Brechin, Angus DD9 6TR, Scotland, UK.

C Department of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria.

D Corresponding author. Email: tsavi@units.it

Functional Plant Biology 43(4) 370-379 https://doi.org/10.1071/FP15324
Submitted: 3 March 2015  Accepted: 23 December 2015   Published: 5 February 2016

Abstract

Functional coordination between leaf and stem hydraulics has been proposed as a key trait of drought-resistant plants. A balanced water transport efficiency and safety of different plant organs might be of particular importance for plant survival in the Mediterranean climate. We monitored seasonal changes of leaf and stem water relations of Salvia officinalis L. in order to highlight strategies adopted by this species to survive in harsh environmental conditions. During summer drought, the water potential dropped below the turgor loss point thus reducing water loss by transpiration, whereas the photosynthetic efficiency remained relatively high. Leaves lost their water transport efficiency earlier than stems, although in both plant organs P50 (water potential inducing 50% loss of hydraulic conductivity) indicated surprisingly high vulnerability when compared with other drought-tolerant species. The fast recovery of leaf turgor upon restoration of soil water availability suggests that the reduction of leaf hydraulic conductance is not only a consequence of vein embolism, but cell shrinkage and consequent increase of resistance in the extra-xylem pathway may play an important role. We conclude that the drought tolerance of S. officinalis arises at least partly as a consequence of vulnerability segmentation.

Additional keywords: aridity, common sage, drought resistance, vulnerability curves, water relations, xylem embolism.


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