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Pea leaves are complex organs, composed of a pair of basal stipules, one to three pairs of lateral leaflets and a terminal complex of tendrils. Tendrils can be converted to terminal leaflets, and leaflets to tendril complexes, each event the result of a single recessive mutation (tl and af, respectively; see Marx 1987). The mutant in which tendril complexes replace leaflets, af af. is of commercial interest, as the yield from semi-leafless plants approaches that of conventional peas (Snoad 1974) and the plants are more resistant to lodging and disease. As predicted from the success of af af plants in the field, tendrils are photosynthetically efficient exporters of fixed carbon (Cote et al. 1992a); as a consequence of the limited intercellular spaces in tendrils, these plants may also be more resistant to air pollution (Fausto and Strommer, unpublished). |
