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New roots = new life?

15 years ago

This is actually a general plant question, although I know that P. edulis is a good example. Many plants have short life spans--I've heard that for P. edulis this is frequently as little as +/- 6 years. However, clearly if one takes cuttings, a particular cultivar can be propagated for many more years. I know of another plant, Solanum quitoense, that tends to live about 4 years, yet cuttings again extend this. And I'm sure there are many, many more examples.

No doubt some of this is due to soil-borne pathogens and diseases (Nematodes, etc.) and that giving the plant new roots restores it's vigor. But are there other reasons? Does something get "reset" and tell the plant it's a lot younger than its "real" age? And do these seemingly rejuvenated plants eventually deteriorate after many "generations"?

I realize this is a complicated question with a number of factors at play, but I'm curious if anyone has any insights on this.

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Comments (4)

karyn1
15 years ago
Mark you posed an interesting question. I'd like to hear the answer to this as well. You might get a better response if you post it on the propagation from cuttings forum.
Karyn
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passionflow
15 years ago
Hi Mark
As Karyn says a very interesting question. First of all the natural process is for all of us, animals or plants to be born, reproduce, age and die. Species such as edulis have been selected for their ability to produce a large crop of fruit within the first few years of planting. The strain of all the reproduction ages it early. Other wild Passiflora species however - especially the tree Passiflora, are much longer lived - possibly up to 100 years but no one really knows. See the link below for more information. There are hybrids from the early 1800's like the violaceas still going strong. Plant genetics is immensely complex see http://www.passionflow.co.uk/passiflora-passion-flower-flowering-genetics.htm for information just re flowering. I think that you are quite right that a cutting - whether from hybrid or species, which generally will be from the last few feet of new growth will give the plant a fresh start. In other words plant can naturally have immortality by cloning which scientists are only now beginning to manage with animals.
Myles

Here is a link that might be useful: Passiflora lifespan
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kiwinut
15 years ago
Theoretically, a plant can be cloned repeatedly forever without end. However, plants that get propagated through cuttings for many, many years, will have a tendency to drift, and many new "sports" may arise with new characteristics. These can be due to genetic mutations that occur within a single cell that then gives rise to a shoot with different properties, or more likely, occurs because of subtle changes in the expression of various genes, which are referred to as epigenetic changes. So, if the same cultivar has been repeatedly cloned for a very long time, it may no longer be identical to the original plant.
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mark4321_gw
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks Myles--fascinating stuff! For some reason, when I was thinking of a "reset" mechanism the whole idea of telomere shortening and senescence never crossed my mind. However, with animals (especially cloning) I guess I would generally think of the telomeres in a single cell or maybe a group of cells regenerating (my knowledge here is also a bit weaker than I'd like...). In a plant cutting I take it this must happen throughout all of the cells--or certainly at least those that are actively growing and dividing--even in distant regions of the cutting? I should do some reading--I'm a bit ignorant on this point.

I hope that the agencies that fund telomere-related research in areas such as cancer and aging also fund work on plants. No doubt the two systems complement one another.

BTW Myles, P. tripartita var. mollissima survived 99 F/37 C yesterday. It's "only" 87 F/ 30 C now (12:30 P.M.) and tomorrow's high is forecast for 77 F/ 25 C. Luckily our heatwaves are brief (unlike Pasadena where I used to live). I did see the Tacsonias at GG Park in S.F. a few days after it hit 97 earlier in the year and they also looked fine--and were in bloom.
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