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The occurrence of crassulacean acid metabolism among vascular epiphytes from Central Panama

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 1997

G. ZOTZ  and
H. ZIEGLER
G. ZOTZ
Affiliation:
Julius-von-Sachs-Institut für Biowissenschaften mit Botanischem Garten der Universität Würzburg, Lehrstuhl für Botanik II, Mittlerer Dallenbergweg 64, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
H. ZIEGLER
Affiliation:
Institut für Botanik und Mikrobiologie der Technischen Universität München, Lehrstuhl für Botanik, Arcisstr. 21, D-80290 München, Germany
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Abstract

The occurrence of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) among the epiphyte flora of the lowland forest on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, was investigated. A total of 116 species was included, i.e. about 2/3 of the known epiphyte taxa. As judged from the carbon isotope ratios and the absence of Kranz anatomy, indications of CAM were found in 29 species of three families, Orchidaceae (20), Bromeliaceae (7), and Cactaceae (2). We estimate that about 25% of the epiphyte flora of BCI are CAM plants. CAM was most prevalent in exposed sites, but even in the understorey two epiphyte species engage in CAM.

Keywords

Crassulacean acid metabolismepiphytesPanamatropical forestBarro Colorado Island
Type
Research Article
Information
The New Phytologist , Volume 137 , Issue 2 , October 1997 , pp. 223 - 229
Copyright
© Trustees of the New Phytologist 1997

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