Mechanical defenses of plant extrafloral nectaries against herbivory.
- Gish M Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA, USA.
- Mescher MC Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich , Zürich, Switzerland.
- De Moraes CM Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich , Zürich, Switzerland.
- 2016-08-05
Published in:
- Communicative & integrative biology. - 2016
calcium oxalate
herbivory
mechanical defense
phytoliths
plant defense
quantitative defenses
rigidity
stiffness
symbiosis
toughness
English
Extrafloral nectaries play an important role in plant defense against herbivores by providing nectar rewards that attract ants and other carnivorous insects. However, extrafloral nectaries can themselves be targets of herbivory, in addition to being exploited by nectar-robbing insects that do not provide defensive services. We recently found that the extrafloral nectaries of Vicia faba plants, as well as immediately adjacent tissues, exhibit high concentrations of chemical toxins, apparently as a defense against herbivory. Here we report that the nectary tissues of this plant also exhibit high levels of structural stiffness compared to surrounding tissues, likely due to cell wall lignification and the concentration of calcium oxalate crystals in nectary tissues, which may provide an additional deterrent to herbivore feeding on nectary tissues.
- Language
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- English
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.1080/19420889.2016.1178431
- PMID 27489584
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/122727
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