Digital Morphometrics of Two North American Grapevines (Vitis: Vitaceae) Quantifies Leaf Variation between Species, within Species, and among Individuals

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated that grapevine (Vitis spp.) leaf shape can be quantified using digital approaches which indicate phylogenetic signal in leaf shape, discernible patterns of developmental context within single leaves, and signatures of local environmental conditions. Here, we extend this work by quantifying intra-individual, intraspecific, and interspecific variation in leaf morphology in accessions of North American Vitis riparia and V. rupestris in a common environment. For each species at least four clonal replicates of multiple genotypes were grown in the Missouri Botanical Garden Kemper Center for Home Gardening. All leaves from a single shoot were harvested and scanned leaf images were used to conduct generalized Procrustes analysis, linear discriminant analysis, and elliptical Fourier analysis. Leaf shapes displayed genotype-specific signatures and species distinctions consistent with taxonomic classifications. Leaf shape variation within genotypes and among clones was the result of pest and pathogen-induced leaf damage that alters leaf morphology. Significant trends in leaf damage caused by disease and infestation were non-random with respect to leaf position on the shoot. Digital morphometrics is a powerful tool for assessing leaf shape variation among species, genotypes, and clones under common conditions and suggests biotic factors such as pests and pathogens as important drivers influencing leaf shape.

The shapes of wine and table grape leaves: an ampelometric study inspired by the methods of Pierre Galet

“…in the USDA Geneva, New York (USA) germplasm collection(Chitwood et al, 2016a), to 136 find conserved loci regulating leaf shape in multiple Vitis spp. interspecific hybrid mapping 137 families(Demmings et al, 2019), and to document inter-and intra-species leaf shape variation 138 between V. riparia and V. rupestris clones at the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis (USA; 139Klein et al, 2017). A set of 21 landmarks capturing the widths of the primary veins and their 140 major secondary branching veins for half of the leaf was used to reanalyze the USDA Geneva,…”

Alpha shapes: Determining 3D shape complexity across morphologically diverse structures

“…The placement of landmarks on sutures, muscle attachment scars and tuberosities is therefore common. This approach has proved effective in ecological and evolutionary studies across a range of biological structures, including vertebrate skulls [7], insect wings [8] and tree leaves [9]. More problematic is the landmarking of less featured objects, such as the diaphyses of long bones [10], the body of ribs [11], otoliths [12], seeds [13] and anthropological artefacts [14].…”

Morphometrical methods as tools for identifying field maple (Acer campestre L.) trees

“…Klein et al. () marked out 17 landmarks for grapevine leaves on the surface and at the leaf margin, representing lobe apices, leaf apex, sinuses and vein junctions.…”

“…Jensen et al (2002) used ten landmarks to outline petiole, apex, lobe apices and sinuses of maple leaves, all treated as landmarks though the authors point out that the four sinuses could be considered semilandmarks. Klein et al (2017) marked out 17 landmarks for grapevine leaves on the surface and at the leaf margin, representing lobe apices, leaf apex, sinuses and vein junctions.…”