Deutsch
Department of Botany I - Plant-Physiology and Biophysics

Phenotypic plasticity

Phenotypic plasticity

Organisms can cope with environmental challenges by changing their development. This is called phenotypic plasticity and played a role in the survival of sessile organisms including land plants. To understand the effect of different environmental cues, we study the leaf shape plasticity of the carnivorous pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis under controlled environments.

A Cephalotus plant bearing both pitcher and flat leaves
The Australian pitcher plant Cephalotus follicularis produces both flat and pitcher leaves depending on growth conditions.
Cephalotus plants producing either flat or pitcher leaves
The leaf dimorphism can be controlled by ambient temperature. Cephalotus preferentially forms flat and pitcher leaves at 15°C and 25°C, respectively.