Self-discrimination in the tendrils of the vine Cayratia japonica is mediated by physiological connection
- PMID: 26311669
- PMCID: PMC4571702
- DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1379
Self-discrimination in the tendrils of the vine Cayratia japonica is mediated by physiological connection
Abstract
Although self-discrimination has been well documented, especially in animals, self-discrimination in plants has been identified in only a few cases, such as self-incompatibility in flowers and root discrimination. Here, were port a new form of self-discrimination in plants: discrimination by vine tendrils. We found that tendrils of the perennial vine Cayratia japonica were more likely to coil around neighbouring non-self plants than neighbouring self plants in both experimental and natural settings. The higher level of coiling around a physiologically severed self plant compared with that around a physiologically connected self plant suggested that self-discrimination was mediated by physiological coordination between the tendril and the touched plant as reported for self-discrimination in roots. The results highlight the importance of self-discrimination for plant competition not only underground,but also above-ground.
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