From: ted.held at us.henkel.com (ted.held at us.henkel.com) on 2008.06.04 at 16:50:17(17733)
Peter,
This is an interesting observation:
The root tip thing is very interesting. While up at Batang Ai last week
took some time to look closely at a very common species of Piptospatha and
realized that the active root tip was always coated in cap of viscous gel;
looking at root development it dawned on me that the gel was acting as an
adhesive; as the root progressed across the rock the gel cap laid down a
thin film, much the same as a slug or snail does, and the developing root
hairs bound into this, gluing the root to the rock to the extent that
attempts to remove older portions the root actually removed fragments of
the rock (shale).
Is the gel material water soluble? That is, would it wash away in a rain?
It would seem as though a soluble matrix would not work where you are. Too
temporary. But that leaves insoluble materials, which seem less likely
from a plant source unless it's like pine sap or pitch. But then pine sap
seems to me to probably be unfriendly to a root. Then there's the
practical problem of wetting a moist surface with a hydrophobic liquid.
What happens later? Does the gel just seem to be there for the initial
phases of root extension and then disappear? Or does the gel remain? Maybe
the roots overwhelm and encase it?
Does it look like the gel oozes evenly from plant cells, or do you think
there might be a gland-like structure from which it is emitted?
So many questions.
Ted.
| 
IAS on Facebook
IAS on Instagram
