Plant-edders,
Walking across campus I notice the familair leaf stains on concrete
sidewalks. Some are very good images and show perfect leaf outline and
even major venation. I asked my Plant Phys class how they occur.
Now, I need to make sure I have an answer. This doesn't occur with green
leaves. I am assuming that water is leaching some pigments, tannins, etc
out of the leaf. Either chlorophyll isn't soluble, doen't stain, or
remains within a living leaf. What is it that is staining the concrete?
It is apparently water-soluble. On a hill, the stain smears to the
downhill side, with streaks often maintaining leaf width.
Anyone have some good answers I can relay to my students to maintain my
front as a knowedgable Plant Physiologist.
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* Dr. David Starrett *
* Biology Department, MS 6200 *
* Southeast Missouri State University *
* Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 *
* Ph: 573-651-2382 *
* Fax: 573-651-2223 *
* Email: dstarret at biology.semo.edu *
* URL: http://biology.semo.edu/web/starrett/starrhpg.html *
* *
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