Re: [aroid-l] Dear Botanists

At 11:14 AM -0400 9/24/03, Ted.Held@hstna.com wrote:

Dear all the good botanists on the list,

Do all green parts of a plant contribute to photosynthesis? Even stems,
midribs, and petioles? This would make sense to me. Why go to all the
trouble to make green pigment, which I assume to be chlorophyll, if it's
not intended to make sugars and whatnot? Sorry to ask such an elementary
question, but the botany books only seem to talk about photosynthesis in
relation to leaf blades. Sometimes even exposed roots turn green if exposed
to light.
Ted,

No question to elementary. Although there are likely exceptions, as nature provides them with most any other "rule" we come up with, in general, I'd say yes. And, in fact, even underneath the developing bark there is chlorophyll photosynthesizing for as long as light gets to it.

Jonathan

Jonathan Ertelt, Greenhouse Manager
Vanderbilt University

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