Abstract
Leaves with structural variegation have partly whitish division not because of lack of chlorophyll but because of diffused reflection due to air spaces between epidermis cells and palisade cells. Ecological meaning and developmental processes of structural variegation have not been known yet.
We chose Schismatoglottis calyptrata which grows in tropical rainforest floor and Saxifraga stolonifera which distributes in Japan as model cases to underatand ecological meaning and developmental processes of structural variegation, because these species have both strain with/without variegation in leaves. Although the efficiency of carbon fixation in variegated leaves seems to be less than that of normalleaves, curiously, they were reported to coexist under same condition.
Here we show that the structural variegation decreases the photosynthetic efficiency. We also analyzed differences of quality and quantity of chlorophyll between variegated and normal leaves. Furthermore, what stage in development and why do structural variegation appear are also reported.
