Open Access

ARTICLE

Light Intensity Affects the Coloration and Structure of Chimeric Leaves of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

Wei Yang, Yuke Lin, Yanbin Xue, Meiqin Mao, Xuzixing Zhou, Hao Hu, Jiawen Liu, Lijun Feng, Huiling Zhang, Jiaheng Luo, Jun Ma^*

College of Landscape Architecture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China

* Corresponding Author: Jun Ma. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Ecophysiology: Recent Trends and Advancements)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2022, 91(2), 333-348. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2022.016862

Received 02 April 2021; Accepted 29 June 2021; Issue published 26 September 2021

Abstract

Ananas comosus var. bracteatus is an important ornamental plant because of its green/white chimeric leaves. The accumulation of anthocyanin makes the leaf turn to red especially in the marginal part. However, the red fades away in summer and winter. Light intensity is one of the most important factors affecting leaf color along the seasons. In order to understand the effects of light intensity on the growth and coloration of the chimeric leaves, Ananas comosus var. bracteatus was grown under full sunlight, 50% shade and 75% shade for 75 days to evaluate the concentration of pigments, the color parameters (values L*, a*, b*) and the morpho-anatomical variations of chimeric leaves. The results showed that a high irradiance was beneficial to keep the chimeric leaves red. However, prolonged exposure to high irradiance caused a damage, some of the leaves wrinkled and even burned. Shading instead decreased the concentration of anthocyanin and increased the concentration of chlorophyll, especially in the white marginal part of the leaves. Numerous chloroplasts were observed in the mesophyll cells of the white marginal part of the chimeric leaves under shading for 75 days. The increase in chlorophyll concentration resulted in a better growth of plants. In order to balance the growth and coloration of the leaves, approximately 50% shade is suggested to be the optimum light irradiance condition for Ananas comosus var. bracteatus in summer.

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