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Plant Cell Environ

Title:		Thermogenesis of three species of Arum from Crete
Author(s):		Seymour RS; Gibernau M; Pirintsos SA;
Address:		"Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia. roger.seymour@adelaide.edu.au"
Journal Title:		Plant Cell Environ
Year:		2009
Volume:		20090622
Issue:		10
Page Number:		1467 - 1476
DOI:		10.1111/j.1365-3040.2009.02015.x
ISSN/ISBN:		1365-3040 (Electronic) 0140-7791 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Inflorescences of arum lilies have a three-part spadix with a scent-producing, sterile appendix above two bands of fertile male and female florets. The appendix and male florets are thermogenic, but with different temporal patterns. Heat-production was measured in Arum concinnatum, A. creticum and A. idaeum. The male florets of A. concinnatum showed a 3 d continuous episode of thermogenesis with three waves, and the appendix warmed in a single, 6 h episode. Maximum fresh-mass-specific CO(2) production rate was 0.17 micromol s(-1) g(-1) to achieve a 10.9 degrees C temperature elevation by the appendix, and 0.92 micromol s(-1) g(-1) to achieve a 4.8 degrees C elevation by male florets. Reversible, physiological temperature regulation was not evident in either tissue. Respiration increased with tissue temperatures with Q(10) values of 1.8-3.9, rather than less than 1.0 as occurs in thermoregulatory flowers. Experimental step changes in temperature of appendix and male floret tissues also failed to show thermoregulatory responses. The patterns of thermogenesis therefore appear to be fixed by the temporal sequence of blooming. Thermogenesis in the alpine species, A. creticum and A. idaeum, was significantly lower than in the lowland A. concinnatum, possibly related to difficulty in raising floral temperature in their cold and windy habitat"
Keywords:		"Adaptation, Physiological Arum/*physiology Carbon Dioxide/metabolism Flowers/*physiology Greece *Temperature;"
Notes:		"MedlineSeymour, Roger S Gibernau, Marc Pirintsos, Stergios Arg eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2009/06/30 Plant Cell Environ. 2009 Oct; 32(10):1467-76. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2009.02015.x. Epub 2009 Jun 22"