Leaf and wood plasticity are key elements in the survival of widely distributed plant species. Locosselli and Ceccantini study the variation of stomatal distribution in leaf epidermis together with tracheid dimensions in wood of the conifer Podocarpus lambertii growing at two climatically different sites. They find that at a cold, wet site the stomatal index is higher in the central leaf region, between the midrib and the leaf margin, than in the adjacent regions, whereas at a warm, dry site the stomatal index is higher near the midrib and leaf margin. Tracheids in individuals at the warm, dry site tended to have shorter cell lengths and smaller lumen diameters, suggesting a joint regulation of stomatal distribution in leaves and tracheid dimensions in wood.
New in Annals of Botany