Physiological Ecology, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Physiological Ecology, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Curr Biol. 2017 Sep 11;27(17):R890-R896. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.03.021.
The peculiar morphologies of succulent plants have been variously considered as grotesque monstrosities and exotic curiosities, but succulents have always been perceived as unique. The succulent syndrome is considered to be one of the most remarkable examples of convergent evolution across the plant kingdom. Common to all succulents is the presence of large cells for water storage. However, cellular succulence can occur in any vegetative plant organ, with the level of succulence in roots, stems, and leaves being subject to a certain degree of evolutionary coordination. Furthermore, cellular succulence scales up to morphological succulence according to various anatomical schemes that confer contrasting functional characteristics. This means that succulence is associated with a broad range of ecophysiological strategies and occurs in plants that have evolved in many different environments.
肉质植物奇特的形态曾被认为是怪诞的畸形和奇异的奇观，但它们一直被视为独特的存在。肉质综合征被认为是植物界趋同进化最显著的例子之一。所有肉质植物的共同特点是存在用于储水的大细胞。然而，细胞肉质可以发生在任何营养植物器官中，根、茎和叶的肉质程度在一定程度上受到进化协调的影响。此外，根据赋予不同功能特性的各种解剖方案，细胞肉质会上升为形态肉质。这意味着肉质与广泛的生理生态策略有关，存在于许多不同环境中进化而来的植物中。
