Leaf vein density and photosynthetic rate in Rosa: Is there a correlation?

Abstract

A thorough knowledge of the leaf vascular network and its evolution is essential for understanding the fluid dynamics of water movement in leaves. Recent studies have shown how these networks can be involved in the performance of photosynthesis, which is linked to the density of the vascular network per unit of leaf area. The aim of this study is to highlight the correlation between leaf vein density (VD) and physiological parameters. The hypothesis proposed was tested on the leaves ofthe “Isabel Renaissance” (IR) rose cultivar. The main result concerned the VD, which was significantly correlated with the maximum leaf net photosynthetic rate (PN). This finding supports the hypothesis that the vascular system of IR leaves can be correlated with leaf photosynthesis performance.