Full Length Research Paper

Epidermal leaf characteristics and seasonal changes of net photosynthesis of five Populus

Su Young Woo

Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of Seoul, Seoul, 130-743. Republic of Korea.

E-mail: wsy@uos.ac.kr. Tel: (82) 2 2210 5634. Fax: (82) 2 2245 8302.

Nomenclatures: P_N, Net photosynthesis; 72-31, Populus alba x Populus glandulosa; Eco28, Populus euramericana; Suwon, Populus koreana x Populus nigra var. italic; Dorskamp, Populus deltoides x P. nigra; 62-2, P. nigra x Populus maximowiczii; LPI, leaf plastachron index

Accepted 18 January, 2010

   Abstract

Net photosynthesis (P_N) and leaf epidermal characteristics of five poplars; 72-31 (Populus alba x Populus glandulosa), Eco28 (Populus euramericana), Suwon (Populus koreana x Populus nigra var. italica), Dorskamp (Populus deltoides x P. nigra), and 62-2 (P. nigra x Populus maximowiczii) were investigated to come up with parameters for comparison. The poplars, 72-31, Suwon and Dorskamp had a significant P_N decreasing from May through September. A wide significant variation in the stomata size and density of the genotypes were observed. Especially, Dorskamp and 62-2 had significantly lower number of stomata than Eco-28, 72-31 and Suwon had, but significantly larger stomata length than Suwon and 72-31 had. In addition, 72-31 had trichomes in the abaxial surface, which may be one of the phytoremediation characteristics of this clone compared to other clones.

Key words: Leaf epidermis, net photosynthesis, Populus, stomata, trichome.