Photosynthetic Characteristics of Six Herbaceous Plants in Response to Drought Stress

LI Yin;LIU Ruimin;ZENG Feng;PAN Lan;XIE Tengfang;TAN Guangwen;Pubang Landscape Architecture Co.Ltd.;College of Agriculture and Landscape Architecture,Zhongkai University of Agriculture and Engineering;College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture,South China Agricultural University;

herbaceous plants in landscape;;drought stress;;photosynthetic characteristics

Dianella ensifolia 'WhiteVariegated', Aspidistra elatior Blume, Hymenocallis littoralis, Crinum asiaticum, Belamcanda chinensis and Iris tectorum are common herbaceous plants in gardens. An experiment was made by potting methods with water control to analyze the response of the photosynthesis of these six plant species to drought stress and rehydration, with a view to providing basic grounds for plant selection for conservation-saving garden construction. The parameters of net photosynthetic rate(Pn), stomatal conductance(Gs), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration(Ci) and transpiration rate(Tr) of the six species were found to decrease gradually with increased drought time.After 8 days of rehydration, the Pn and Gs of the six species did not return to the control level. The recovery degree of Iris tectorum in Pn and D. ensifolia 'WhiteVariegated' in Gs was the highest. The Ci of H. littoralis and the Tr of D. ensifolia 'White Variegated' returned to the control level after 8 days of rehydration. Comprehensively D. ensifolia 'WhiteVariegated', H. littoralis and I. had a higher tolerance to drought.