A study On Support Selection Mechanism In Tendrils of Cayratia Japonica

Organisms make decisions when they perceive cues of varying intensities. In case of climbing plants, the diameter of supports in contact (tree or stem) is an important cue for their growth as plants that coil around a support with large diameter are unable to maintain tensional forces required for continued attachment to the support. The negative association between the diameter and the climbing success has been reported since Darwin published his study on climbing plants. However, it is not known if a climbing plant makes a decision to avoid a support with larger diameter. Here, we tested this possibility by observing the coiling response of tendrils of Cayratia japonica to supports with different diameters. The coiling success of the tendrils was affected by the diameter of the support and the tendril lengths. We described the branching pattern of coiling response and demonstrated that the tendrils change their coiling shape depending on the support diameter and the tendril length. To understand the behavioural rules regulating the branching, we constructed a simple model with two assumptions on the tendril movement, (1) when the tendrils receive a contact stimulus, they begin to coil from around the contact point and (2) there is a minimum coiling angle at which the tendrils coil up, once the tendril starts coiling. Image analysis and 3D motion tracking technique revealed that the movement of the tendrils were consistent with the two assumptions of the model. The results suggested that the tendrils flexibly changed the coiling shapes depending on the support diameter and simple behavioural rules could regulate this diameter-dependent response.

Vine tendrils use contact chemoreception to avoid conspecific leaves

Movement and growth habit of climbing plants have attracted attention since the time of Charles Darwin; however, there are no reports on whether plants can choose suitable hosts or avoid unsuitable ones based on chemoreception. Here, I show that the tendrils of Cayratia japonica (Vitaceae) appear to avoid conspecific leaves using contact chemoreception for oxalates, which are highly concentrated in C. japonica leaves. The coiling experiments show that C. japonica has a flexible plastic response to avoid coiling around conspecific leaves. The coiling response is negatively correlated with the oxalate content in the contacted leaves. Experiments using laboratory chemicals indicate that the tendrils avoid oxalate-coated plastic sticks. These results indicate that the tendrils of C. japonica avoid coiling around a conspecific leaf based on contact chemoreception for oxalate compounds. The tendrils of climbing plants may function as a chemoreceptor system to detect the chemical cues of a contacted plant.

Self-discrimination in the tendrils of the vine Cayratia japonica is mediated by physiological connection

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, we report 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.

Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata), Bushkiller (Cayratia japonica), and Virginia-Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) in Interspecific Competition

Porcelain berry and bushkiller are confamilial, exotic, perennial vines in the Vitaceae family that are considered nuisance/invasive weeds of natural and riparian areas in the eastern United States. To better understand the competitive abilities of these aggressive weeds, greenhouse competition experiments were conducted on cuttings of porcelain berry, bushkiller, and Virginia-creeper, a native member of the Vitaceae family. Plants grown singly or in combination were monitored for stem growth and biomass production. In this research, porcelain berry and Virginia-creeper exhibited similar rates of stem growth, whereas bushkiller grew taller and faster than either of the other species. Porcelain berry stem growth was reduced in competition with bushkiller. All three species exhibited reduced stem biomass when grown with both other species. Root biomass of porcelain berry and Virginia-creeper were not affected by competition, but bushkiller, which produced the heaviest roots, exhibited reduced root biomass when grown with both other species. Porcelain berry root length was reduced by competition with both other species, but neither Virginia-creeper nor bushkiller root lengths were affected by competition. These results indicate that bushkiller is likely the strongest competitor of the three species studied. In these experiments, porcelain berry was less aggressive and vigorous than bushkiller but was similar to Virginia-creeper.

Fragment Size and Planting Depth Affect the Regenerative Capacity of Bushkiller (Cayratia japonica)

Bushkiller (Cayratia japonica) is a herbaceous, perennial vine that reproduces from seed and vegetative root structures within its native range. However, this species is considered invasive in the United States due to prolific shoot production, which can overtop surrounding vegetation. Cultural control practices, such as mulching, have been observed to further the spread of this species through regeneration of root fragments. Research was conducted to determine the regenerative capacity of bushkiller root fragments (1 to 7 cm; 2.5 to 18 inches) buried at various depths (0 to 40 cm). Root length and planting depth affected leaf number, shoot number, plant height, and shoot biomass. Bushkiller leaf density, shoot density, plant height, and dry weight increased as root fragment length increased from 1 to 7 cm; conversely, these variables decreased as planting depth increased from 0 to 40 cm. Results indicate bushkiller regeneration capacity from root fragments is extremely high and control practices that fragment roots should be avoided to reduce further spread.