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• Background and Aims Sapwood traits like vessel diameter and intervessel pit characteristics play key rolesin maintaining hydraulic integrity of trees. Surprisingly little is known about how sapwood traits covary with treeheight and how such trait-based variation could affect the efficiency of water transport in tall trees. This studypresents a detailed analysis of structural and functional traits along the vertical axes of tall Eucalyptus grandis trees. • Methods To assess a wide range of anatomical and physiological traits, light and electron microscopy wasused, as well as eld measurements of tree architecture, water use, stem water potential and leaf area distribution. • Key Results Strong apical dominance of water transport resulted in increased volumetric water supply per unitleaf area with tree height. This was realized by continued narrowing (from 250 to 20 μm) and an exponentialincrease in frequency (from 600 to 13 000 cm−2) of vessels towards the apex. The widest vessels were detected atleast 4 m above the stem base, where they were associated with the thickest intervessel pit membranes. In addition,this study established the lower limit of pit membrane thickness in tall E. grandis at ~375 nm. This minimumthickness was maintained over a large distance in the upper stem, where vessel diameters continued to narrow.• Conclusions The analyses of xylem ultrastructure revealed complex, synchronized trait covariation and trade-offs with increasing height in E. grandis. Anatomical traits related to xylem vessels and those related to architectureof pit membranes were found to increase efficiency and apical dominance of water transport. This study underlinesthe importance of studying tree hydraulic functioning at organismal scale. Results presented here will improveunderstanding height-dependent structure–function patterns in tall trees.

• Background and Aims: The family Balsaminaceae is essentially herbaceous, except for some woodier species that can be described as ‘woody’ herbs or small shrubs. The family is nested within the so-called balsaminoid clade of Ericales, including the exclusively woody families Tetrameristaceae and Marcgraviaceae, which is sister to the remaining families of the predominantly woody order. A molecular phylogeny of Balsaminaceaeis compared with wood anatomical observations to find out whether the woodier species are derived from herbaceous taxa (i.e. secondary woodiness), or whether woodiness in the family represents the ancestral state for the order (i.e. primary woodiness). • Methods: Wood anatomical observations of 68 Impatiens species and Hydrocera triflora, of which 47 are included in a multigene phylogeny, are carried out using light and scanning electron microscopy and compared with the molecular phylogenetic insights. • Key Results: There is much continuous variation in wood development between the Impatiens species studied, making the distinction between herbaceousness and woodiness difficult. However, the most woody species, unambiguously considered as truly woody shrubs, all display paedomorphic wood features pointing to secondary woodiness. This hypothesis is further supported by the molecular phylogeny, demonstrating that these most woody species are derived from herbaceous (or less woody) species in at least five independent clades. Wood formation in H. triflora is mostly confined to the ribs of the stems and shows paedomorphic wood features as well, suggesting that the common ancestor of Balsaminaceae was probably herbaceous. • Conclusions: The terms ‘herbaceousness’ and ‘woodiness’ are notoriously difficult to use in Balsaminaceae. However, anatomical observations and molecular sequence data show that the woodier species are derived from less woody or clearly herbaceous species, demonstrating that secondary woodiness has evolved in parallel.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Marcgraviaceae are a rather small family of seven genera and approx. 130 neotropical species. This study aims to present a detailed palynological survey of the family in order to comment on the intrafamily relationships and possible correlations with pollinators. METHODS: In total, 119 specimens representing 67 species and all genera are observed using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, eight species from five genera are studied with transmission electron microscopy. KEY RESULTS: Our results show that pollen grains of Marcgraviaceae are small (20-35 microm), have three equatorial apertures, granules on the colpus membrane, oblate spheroidal to prolate spheroidal shapes, mainly psilate to perforate ornamentations, and lalongate colpus-shaped thinnings at the inner layer of the exine, and show the presence of orbicules. Based on our fragmentary knowledge of the pollination biology of the family, there are no clear correlations between pollinators and pollen features. CONCLUSIONS: The genus Marcgravia has a high percentage of reticulate sexine patterns and a relatively thin nexine. Sarcopera can be defined by the presence of an oblate spheroidal to even suboblate shape, while Ruyschia and Souroubea typically show prolate spheroidal to subprolate pollen grains. The presence of a thick foot layer in the pollen wall is characteristic of the genera Norantea, Sarcopera and Schwartzia. Pollen features that are taxonomically useful within the family are the shape, sexine sculpturing, and ultrastructure of the pollen wall. ispartof: Annals of botany vol:96 issue:6 pages:1047-1060 ispartof: location:England status: published

Background and Aims Intervascular pit membranes were examined within Ericales to determine the distribution and structure of torus-like thickenings. Methods Forty-nine species representing 12 families of the order Ericales were investigated using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. They were compared with four species of Oleaceae to determine the true nature of the thickenings. Key Results Pit membranes with torus-like thickenings were observed in seven species of Ericaceae and were found to be amorphous, plasmodesmata-associated structures with an irregular distribution. These pseudo-tori show major differences compared with true tori with respect to their distribution and ultrastructure. Genuine tori, which are strongly correlated with round pit apertures in narrow tracheary elements, were found in two species of Osmanthus (Oleaceae). Conclusions The pseudo-tori found in some Ericaceae are considered to be similar to pit membrane thickenings previously recorded in Rosaceae. While true tori appear to be functionally significant in terms of efficiency and safety of water transport, the possible function of pseudo-tori could be associated with the role of plasmodesmata during differentiation of tracheids, fibre-tracheids or narrow vessels.