A Comparative Analysis of the Mechanical Role of Leaf Sheaths of Poaceae, Juncaceae, and Cyperaceae
Table 1
Internode length, overlap of leaf sheaths, and relative contribution of leaf sheath to flexural rigidity of entire culm of all species. Standard deviation is bracketed and expressed as a percentage. Asterisks denote significant differences (Kruskal-Wallis test) between the segment below the node and the first segment above the meristem with and without leaf sheaths.
A. elatius
B. erectus
P. araratica
L. nivea
C. arctata
Culm length [mm]
1398 (126)
1053 (109)
467 (29)
683 (54)
980 (74)
Number of internodes
5
4-5
5
6-7
3-4
Internode length (% of entire length)
Internode
1 (base)
6.3 (3.3)
3.2 (1.1)
5.0 (2.3)
9.8 (5.9)
10.4 (5.7)
2
12.0 (3.2)
8.5 (3.8)
10.7 (1.4)
14.1 (3.3)
41.1 (3.0)
3
16.1 (0.9)
17.2 (4.9)
14.5 (0.6)
16.5 (1.8)
32.4 (4.5)
4
21.3 (2.0)
30.3 (5.9)
21.5 (1.3)
16.5 (1.8)
16.2 (1.8)
5
44.3 (6.9)
40.8 (9.1)
44.0 (1.5)
16.0 (1.3)
6
15.9 (2.5)
7
11.1 (7.8)
Overlap of leaf sheaths (%)
Internode
1 (base)
111.1
181.5 (38.5)
122.0 (23.3)
66.9 (10.4)
143.3 (90.3)
2
84.4 (15.9)
111.1 (53.4)
78.2 (4.5)
56.6 (13.1)
27.5 (1.7)
3
72.8 (9.4)
62.4 (15.5)
63.9 (3.6)
41.9 (7.0)
24.7 (6.5)
4
66.7 (8.3)
41.9 (5.0)
44.4 (3.4)
38.0 (4.5)
41.4 (13.5)
5
45.2 (7.1)
34.1 (4.3)
22.6 (1.3)
36.2 (4.4)
6
33.2 (5.8)
7
49.8 (25.6)
Relative contribution of leaf sheath to flexural rigidity of entire culm (%)
