Vestured pits and scalariform perforation plate morphology modify the relationships between angiosperm vessel diameter, climate and maximum plant height

What is it about?

In plants, xylem properties determine water transport efficiency and dependability, and these in turn influence survival under stresses like drought, but correlated traits like plant height may also confer adaptation to climate. We present evidence that the morphology of joint cell walls where water moves between vessels can alter correlations between plant traits and influence climatic distributions over evolutionary time.

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