Comparison of leaves and stems of Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr. in tolerance to low temperature

Abstract

Low temperature is an important environmental factor that affects plant growth and development. To determine the adaptability of different organs of Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr. to low temperature, the chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence parameters as well as the Chl, malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble sugar, and anthocyanin contents of leaves and stems were measured under low temperature. The results confirmed that the Chl fluorescence parameters and Chl content of the leaves and stems of P. scandens tended to decrease consistently, while the MDA content increased, and the change range of the stems was much lower than that of the leaves. The soluble sugar and anthocyanin contents rapidly increased in the leaves and stems to cope with low temperature. Our results suggest that stems are more tolerant than leaves during winter and may continue to grow during that time, which could provide theoretical guidance for clonal propagation of plants to study stem tolerance in the future.

Keywords

• cold
• non-leaf photosynthetic organs
• osmoprotectants
• photosynthesis