Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Leaf Longevity of Herbaceous Plants
Flower and leaves of an aquatic floating-leaved plant
(Nymphaea odorata)
The leaf longevity of
Ambrosia trifida
ranged from 20 to 90 days depending on time
of emergence, averaging about 50 days (Abul-Fatih and Bazzaz 1980). Leaf longevity
of other annual forbs was comparable:
Xanthium canadense
, 30-40 days (Oikawa
et al. 2006),
Glycine max
, 20-60 days (Miyaji and Tagawa 1979), and
Linum
usitatissimum
, around 20-30 days (Bazzaz and Harper 1977). The leaf longevity of
perennial herbs is not markedly different, although tending to be higher. For example,
Diemer (1998a) compared leaf longevity of perennials at different altitudes in the
Austrian Alps. At 600 m, leaf longevity of 13 species was 71 days, very similar to
the 68-day average for 16 species at 2,600 m. The average leaf longevity of 14
herbaceous species in North American grasslands was 63 days (Craine et al. 1999).
Leaf longevities in 32 Swiss grass species ranged from 19 to 29 days for annuals
versus 30 to 113 days for perennials (Ryser and Urbas 2000). Compiling earlier
studies, Janišová (2007) reported annual grasses having leaves with half-lives in the
range of 19-29 days, short-lived perennials with 30-45 days, and long-lived peren-
nial with 111-200 days.
Tsuchiya (1991) reported the leaf longevity of floating leaves in aquatic herbs
ranged from 13 to 55 days, averaging 25 days. Average leaf longevity for the
floating-leaved
Nymphaea tetragona
and
Brasenia schreberi
were 30 and 25 days,
respectively (Kunii and Aramaki 1987). Some floating-leaved species also produce
emergent leaves with stouter petioles that have longevities from 35 to 57 days,
averaging 45 days. For example, in
Nelumbo nucifera
the longevity of floating
leaves was only 17 days, but the emergent leaves later in the season live for 30-50
