Rooted Fan Leaves

Dunge · May 28, 2016

Magellan said:
I guess this concludes this experiment and proves that while you can get fan leaves to root, they won't grow anything else.

I would not have thought fan leaves would root.
What you have demonstrated is that they can.
What remains to discover is how to make them grow a meristem.
My hope is that you have inspired others to join the search.
Congratulations on a good start, and thanks for the thread.

keiksweat · May 28, 2016

been a real good show pal.whats next then.im subbed if your up for the next experiment.lol.

MGRox · May 29, 2016

Was great to see the experiment!!! I was excited with the rest to see even roots and was hoping for success.
Given the outcome, I was interested a bit to know why this would differentiate into Root cells but not Shoot cells. Did some snooping I guess.

"Leaf cuttings of most plants will not generate a new plant; they usually produce only a few roots or just decay. Because leaf cuttings do not include an axillary bud, they can be used only for plants that are capable of forming adventitious buds."

"Simple leaves are usually conceptualized as terminal organs that cannot develop new roots or shoots. However plants with succulent or semi-succulent leaves in many unrelated families defy this rule. They do so by differentiating leaf parenchyma — which are probably often phloem parenchyma or companion cells, the two of which are often indistinguishable — into new root and shoot apical meristems. Succulent and semi-succulent leaves can survive longer than non-succulent leaves once detached from shoots of their parent plant, possibly enabling them to differentiate and establish a root system before desiccation and/or starvation"

LINK
"Adventitious root & bud formation
**Stem and leaf-bud cuttings only need to produce adventitious roots
**Root and leaf cuttings need to develop both adventitious buds & adventitious roots"

"Order of events to produce wound-induced roots
1.) outer, injured cells die
2.) a necrotic plate forms and seals the wound (suberin) = cork and gum blocks xylem
3.) parenchyma cells (callus) form behind plate
4.) cells near the vascular cambium divide and produce adventitious roots"

"Limiting factor in leaf cutting propagation is the formation of adventitious buds NOT adventitious roots!"

http://plantphys.info/plants_human/vegprop/vegpropa.shtml
--Leaf Cutting:

The leaf blade, as usual, produces IAA (auxin). This auxin is transported basipetally (down the petiole) as usual.
The IAA accumulates in the base of the petiole to the point that a callus tissue (tumor) forms. A callus is a mixture of meristematic cells and parenchyma cells. Since these cells do not have a determined fate, it is possible to influence these cells to differentiate in just about any direction.
The IAA continues to accumulate in the callus. The concentration rises to the point that roots are initiated on the callus.
The roots produce cytokinins (CK). This hormone is transported acropetally (away from the root tip, toward the callus). The cytokinin accumulates in the callus.
As the concentration of cytokinin accumulates in the callus, it stimulates shoot formation. The shoots then can grow up. In the end you have a shoot with roots...a whole plant!"

https://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/chiwonlee/plsc368/lecture/cpt10/cpt10cuttingbio.htm
"-Synergistic to auxins
Low auxin and high cytokinin------------>adventitious buds
High auxin and low cytokinin------------->adventitious roots"

It would appear that the Parenchyma cells in the leaf / petiole were capable of forming wound-induced adventitious roots, since cannabis can form adventitious roots (same response with taking stem cuttings). However, the Parenchyma were not able to differentiate into wound-induced adventitious buds, since cannabis (in general) cannot form adventitious buds. Presumably the shorter life of leaf reduces time for differentiation along with a possible lacking of cytokinins after root formation.

geologic · May 29, 2016

Magellan said:
About 2 weeks ago on the healthiest leaf, I made a small slice at the top of the stem where the fingers meet. The wound just dried and kind of healed.

Also, it appears that all of the leaves are dying. One has completely dried up and the others are following suit. They look to be dying from old age. They are probably nearly 6 months old. I have kept them watered and in filtered sunlight (I think full sunlight wad too hot for them). I also think that two of them had some birds peck at them - which caused damage.

I guess this concludes this experiment and proves that while you can get fan leaves to root, they won't grow anything else.

I will take one of them from their pot and remove some of the soil to show roots (if they haven't decayed to nothingness).

This was fun while it lasted and I thank those of you who commented and showed interest.

Thanx for your intellectual curiosity--
good experiment...

Magellan · Jun 5, 2016

Post mortem - all of the leafs had really good root systems - they basically were root bound in the one gallon pots. I lost many of the roots while cleaning the soil away for the pic below.

Maybe I should have transplanted them? Also, I wonder if I used the wrong hormone to try to get them to bud. Perhaps someone knows more about that.

incogneato · Jun 5, 2016

Rip, it was fun while it lasted

Moto · Jun 5, 2016

Rip my rooted friends.. You may of failed us, but you will not be forgotten.. LOL

Keekee · Jun 10, 2016

Arhh my father tried this years ago with the same result grew roots only difference was his fan leaf got really big.Next he tried cutting a bud with stem and planting that,i thought there is no way in hell this is going to work to our suprise it did work and then grew these funky leaves that didnt look like dope leaves anymore.My father and i were thinking pot that don't look like pot were going to make a fortune lol.As everyone knows there soon turn back into normal looking plants.This was many yrs ago before i even had internet.

Rooted Fan Leaves

Rooted Fan Leaves

Dunge

keiksweat

MGRox

geologic

Old Pharmer

Magellan

incogneato

Moto

Keekee

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