A Study on the Change of Photosynthetic Patterns by the Cladode Orientation of Opuntia lanceolata Haw.

부채仙人掌( Opuntia lanceolata Haw. )의 葉牀莖方位에 따른 光合成樣式의 變化에 관한 硏究

Diurnal acid fluctuation, stomatal resistance, and solar radiation with regard to the cladode orientation were investigated in Opuntia lanceolata Haw. growing at WPeolryeong-ri, Hallim-eup, Chejudo, Korea. Diurnal changes of titratable acidity showed the typical CAM pattern in all investigated cladodes. Water tissue in the cladode had the same pattern of acid fluctuation as mesophyll tissue. Stomatal resistance was low during the night, increased rapidly to be a peak right after sunrise and decreased again thereafter. The southern side of the cladode showed higher stomatal resistance than the northern side during the day time. It suggests that the stomata of the northern side opens under diffuse radiation. The amount of solar radiation varied depending upon the cladode orientation. It is thought that C4 acids move inter and intra mesophyll tissues in the cladode through the unknown pathways. RuBP carboxyulase activity in the cladode was very high at 14:00, but was not significant at 01:00. PEP-carboxylase had high activities both at 14:00 and at 01:00. The results of this study showed the possibility that O. lanceolata Haw. had the C3, C4 and CAM photosynthetic patterns under the environmental conditions at Weolryeong-ri.