Tuesday May 11, 2010
Xylem Pressure
Big leaves unfolding

Big leaves unfolding and slowly making their way skyward. This made me curious as to what they call the pressure in plants that drives this process. For some reason systolic came to mind, but that's pressure in the human circulatory system when the heart contracts. In plants I believe it's the xylem, which is the layer(s) of tissue responsible for transporting water. But then I realized I should be going to work, so we'll all have to explore and discover the mechanics of leaf unfolding another time.

Regardless of the mechanics, it looks elegant in the right light.