Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The evolution of plant hydraulics reflects a trade-off between efficiency and safety, between maximizing water transport while preventing embolism spread. Two major lineages achieved this balance differently: conifers and Gingko optimized safety through low resistance torus-margo pits, while angiosperms maximized hydraulic efficiency through long, wide vessels. It is therefore striking that no lineage evolved a "hybrid" design combining the efficiency of vessels with the low resistance of margo membranes with potential exception of Ephedraceae. Here we use a combination of experimental and theoretical approaches to show that the geometry of vessels inherently limits the pressure differentials required for torus-margo function.
Source: Communications Biology
Institutions: University of California, Davis, Université Clermont Auvergne, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Physique et Physiologie Intégratives de l'Arbre en Environnement Fluctuant, Stanford University, Gachon University, Technical University of Denmark
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $4,190
OpenAlex ID: W7150929637