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A whole-plant carbon balance model incorporating a light acclimation response was developed for Alocasia macrorhiza based on empirical data and the current understanding of light acclimation in this species. The model was used to predict the relative growth rate (RGR) for plants that acclimated to photon flux density (PFD) by changing their leaf type, and for plants that produced only sun or shade leaves regardless of PFD. The predicted RGR was substantially higher for plants with shade leaves than for those with sun leaves at low PFD. However, the predicted RGR was not higher, and in fact was slightly lower, for plants with sun leaves than for those with shade leaves at high PFD. The decreased leaf area ratios (LARs) of the plants with sun leaves counteracted their higher photosynthetic capacities per unit leaf area (Amax). The model was manipulated by changing parameters to examine the sensitivity of RGR to variation in single factors. Overall, RGR was most sensitive to LAR and showed relatively little sensitivity to variation in Amax or maintenance respiration. Similarly, RGR was relatively insensitive to increases in leaf life-span beyond those observed. Respiration affected RGR only at low PFD, whereas Amax was moderately important only at high PFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the carbon allocation patterns and con- struction costs of Alocasia macrorrhiza plants grown at different photon flux densities (PFD) as well as the whole- plant carbon gain of these plants at different daily PFDs. Growth at high PFD resulted in thicker leaves with a higher leaf mass per unit area, and increased biomass allocation to petioles and roots, as compared to growth at low PFD. Increased allocation to petioles may have been necessary to support the heavier leaves, whereas increased allocation to roots may have been necessary to supply sufficient water for the higher transpiration rates in high PFD. Root biomass was highly correlated with the daily, whole-plant transpiration rate. Tissue construction costs per unit dry mass were unchanged by acclimation, but, since the mass per unit areas of leaves, roots and petioles all increased, construction costs per unit leaf area were much higher for plants grown at high PFD. On a per unit leaf area basis, daily whole-plant carbon gain measured at high daily PFD was higher in high- than in low-PFD-grown plants. However, on a per unit leaf mass basis, low-PFD- grown plants had a daily carbon gain at least as high as that of high-PFD-grown plants at high daily PFD. At low daily PFD, low-PFD-grown plants maintained an advantage over high-PFD-grown plants in terms of carbon gain because of their larger leaf area ratios. Thus, in terms of carbon gain, low-PFD-grown plants performed better than sun plants at low PFD and as well as high-PFD-grown plants at high PFD, despite their lower photosynthetic capacities per unit area. For high-PFD-grown plants, the higher construction costs per unit leaf area resulted in lower leaf area ratios, which counteracted the advantage of higher photosynthetic rates per unit leaf area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of crystalline keratopathy caused by Alocasia macrorrhiza. The diagnosis was made based on the observation of needle-like crystals in the corneal stroma following injury to that eye. The condition resolved in 3 months with the disappearance of the crystals confirmed by follow-up confocal microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]