サボテンが有する吸水ネットワークの特徴

抄録

Plant gets the good function with the shape of body to survive. In the desert, the cactus needs to realize the saving water in a body and the evaporation of water for the growing. We examined the characteristics shape of cactus and what kind of water absorption network in the stem. We observed the surface of cactus using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Root is similar with other plants. Spines are consisted long spines and short spines. Long spines are shaped like a bundled thin tube and have like a barb. Cactus has stoma on epidermis of the stem for the water absorption. Cactus has no leaf but cactus complement function. The result for path of absorbed in cactus shows that vascular bundle was divided into two when the body is branching. Observed from cross section, conduit extends along the side of stem. One of conduit branches for spines. Spines are connected with conduit. The dye flow visualization shows that the cactus has the mesh-patterned network in a stem. From the graph theory, the network of cactus for water absorption is closely connected and it is consist of nodes with similar function.