Testing Carlquistian hypotheses on the functional significance of vessel element length

While total vessel length is widely recognized as being of fundamental functional significance, opinion is more divided regarding the potential functional importance of vessel element length, a variable that Sherwin Carlquist regarded as functionally significant. We show that vessel element length can, as Carlquist predicted, affect vessel resistance to deformation. Perforation plates are locally thickened annuli, so tubes with annuli resist deformation better than those without, and tubes with closely-spaced annuli resist deformation better than those with distantly spaced ones. However, there is a tradeoff between deformation resistance and conductance. With a comparative analysis across more than 1000 species of angiosperms, we show that both vessel element length and the areas of individual inter-conduit pits scale positively with vessel diameter. Such covariation is expected if plants are to maintain conductance as they grow taller. Congruent with Carlquist’s thinking, we found that species with vessel elements that are exceptionally short tend to grow in drylands, whereas those with vessel elements that are exceptionally long tend to grow in moist climates. Finally, we show evidence suggesting that selection on vessel element length is an important determinant of imperforate tracheary element length. Conversely, the evidence for selection on imperforate tracheary element length affecting vessel element length appears to be weaker. These results seem sufficient to establish that, whatever the functional importance of total vessel length, vessel element length is a variable of functional significance in its own right, congruent with Sherwin Carlquist’s long-held views.