Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (4)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Seymour, R. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Seymour, R. S.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Seymour, R. S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 52, No. 360, pp. 1465-1472, July 1, 2001
© 2001 Oxford University Press

Original Papers

Diffusion pathway for oxygen into highly thermogenic florets of the arum lily Philodendron selloum

Roger S. Seymour1

Department of Environmental Biology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia

Thermogenic inflorescences of some arum lilies have the highest rates of respiration known among plants. Peak rates of oxygen consumption in the sterile male florets of Philodendron selloum Koch exceed 0.3 µmol s-1 g-1 when the inflorescence warms to 38 °C. This study describes the morphology of the oxygen diffusion pathway between the atmosphere and the parenchymal cells of the florets. Dimensions of the florets, stomata, interstitial gas network, and cells provide data for diffusion models of the PO2 profiles at each level of the ‘oxygen cascade’. The lowest calculated PO2 of 4.7 kPa (35 mmHg) at the axis of the thickest part of the floret indicates that maximum respiration does not reach the point of diffusion-limitation, confirming earlier physiological measurements of the dependence of oxygen consumption rate on environmental PO2. Adequate aeration of all cells is achieved by appropriate floret size, despite a stomatal density less than 5%, and interstitial gas fraction less than 2%, of values commonly found in leaves.

Key words: Gas diffusion, flower, stomata, thermogenesis, respiration, Araceae.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Plant Physiol.Home page
P. Verboven, G. Kerckhofs, H. K. Mebatsion, Q. T. Ho, K. Temst, M. Wevers, P. Cloetens, and B. M. Nicolai
Three-Dimensional Gas Exchange Pathways in Pome Fruit Characterized by Synchrotron X-Ray Computed Tomography
Plant Physiology, June 1, 2008; 147(2): 518 - 527.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ANN BOT (LOND)Home page
M. GIBERNAU, D. BARABE, M. MOISSON, and A. TROMBE
Physical Constraints on Temperature Difference in Some Thermogenic Aroid Inflorescences
Ann. Bot., July 1, 2005; 96(1): 117 - 125.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.