Mimosa brevicalyx (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae): a new species based on molecular, anatomical, and morphological data

Vicariance Between Cercis siliquastrum L. and Ceratonia siliqua L. Unveiled by the Physical–Chemical Properties of the Leaves’ Epicuticular Waxes

“…The histological response of C. siliquastrum is certainly an adaptation to the ecological restrictions imposed by the preferential wild habitats of the Cercideae (sclerophyllous shrubs or maquis of the Mediterranean basin and western Asia; Gonzalez Rodriguez et al, 2016). Similar responses were described for other Fabaceae exposed to environmental conditions where precipitation is concentrated over relatively short periods throughout the year, (Sanches and Válio, 2006;El-Ghazali, 2008;Bieras and Das Sajo, 2009;Dönmez and Aydin, 2018;Mendes et al, 2021) or even for other botanic families subject to analogous climatic conditions (Tomaszewski, 2004;Tschan and Denk, 2012;Kozhoridze et al, 2015;Eminagaoglu et al, 2020). Therefore, the present work confirms the existence of a direct correlation between the chemical composition, morphology, and wettability of the epicuticular waxes of plant leaves, and of the leaves' optical properties, and the thermopluviometric restrictions imposed by their natural habitat.…”

“…Comparison of the C. siliquastrum and C. siliqua leaves also allows inferring that the adaxial surfaces resemble closely from the standpoint of morphology and optical properties, but exhibit remarkable differences in terms of chemical composition and water retention ability: (1) The adaxial surfaces display both lower density and degree of interconnection of plates than the abaxial surfaces, an effect also found for other Caesalpinioideae taxa; ( Neves et al, 2016 ; Mendes et al, 2021 ) (2) In both species the light reflectance/absorptance of the adaxial surface is significantly lower/higher than that of the abaxial surface, but the overall trend in the reflectance, the rise in the reflectance close to 550 nm, and the dip close to 700 nm, are qualitatively similar; (3) The optical response measured for the adaxial surface of the C. siliquastrum leaf shows higher reflectance and lower absorption in the 400–500 nm range than that of the C. siliqua leaf; ( Rodríguez et al, 2021 ) (4) The dominant chemical compound present in the epicuticular layer of the adaxial surface of the C. siliquastrum leaf is 1-triacontanol, the same C30 alcohol prominent in the epicuticular layer of the abaxial surface ( Supplementary Table 1 ). In contrast in the case of the C. siliqua leaf, the major compound present in the adaxial surface is 1-monopalmitin, ( Rodríguez et al, 2021 ) a monocylglycerol with emulsion properties that may increase the water-holding capacity and thus wettability; (5) The epicuticular layer of the adaxial surface of C. siliquastrum features quasi superhydrophobic behavior (water CA of 152 ± 4° ( Figure 4B , green symbols)), whereas that of C. siliqua demonstrates quasi hydrophobic properties (average water CA of 94 ± 8° ( Rodríguez et al, 2021 )).…”