Structural organization in palm stems of Roystonea regia and Archontophoenix alexandrae

What is it about?

In this study, we showed how some structural traits might vary inside the stem of two palm trees. We analyzed the variation of vessel diameter, theoretical water transport efficiency, and fiber and ground parenchyma fraction. From our illustrations, we gave a vertical and radial perspective view of these changes. By dividing the stem into different radial sections, we analyzed the correlations between theoretical conductivity, fiber fraction (a proxy of the mechanical stability), and parenchyma fraction (a proxy of storage capacity). We found that these correlations changed radially. We suggested that those changes represent functional sectoriality within the stem. This functional sectoriality reduced the competition between the main functions of the stem. Hence, it may have helped the performance of palms.

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