[TML] Alien ecologies

[Jerry W Barrington]

On 8/29/08 3:37 AM, "Knapp" <magick.crow at gmail.com> wrote:

> Also, leaves are not thin for that reason. For example Cactus,
> Lithops, Jade plants, (ya, all high light level plants BUT orchids,
> Epiphylllim Both have thick leaves and live in low light. I think
> leaves being thin is more related to structural needs concerning
> support. On the other side the chlorophyll is often near the surface
> but the flesh could still be blocking some wavelengths. Is there some
> data out there about that? It is not my field.

Well, all those plants are using special water conservation systems, which
is what overrides the normal tendency to thin leaves.  And in at least a
couple of cases, it may technically be a leaf, but realistically it *is* the
structure of the plant.  And as you mention, the chlorophyll (and thus the
photosynthesizing) is in the skin layer.