How Did the Swiss Cheese Plant Get Its Holes?

@article{Muir2012HowDT,
  title={How Did the Swiss Cheese Plant Get Its Holes?},
  author={Christopher D. Muir},
  journal={The American Naturalist},
  year={2012},
  volume={181},
  pages={273 - 281}
}
  • C. Muir
  • Published 26 December 2012
  • Environmental Science
  • The American Naturalist
Adult leaf fenestration in “Swiss cheese” plants (Monstera Adans.) is an unusual leaf shape trait lacking a convincing evolutionary explanation. Monstera are secondary hemiepiphytes that inhabit the understory of tropical rainforests, where photosynthesis from sunflecks often makes up a large proportion of daily carbon assimilation. Here I present a simple model of leaf-level photosynthesis and whole-plant canopy dynamics in a stochastic light environment. The model demonstrates that leaf… 
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