Fig. 2. Schematic diagram showing plant material and growth
conditions. (a) Plant material consisted of 16 clones propagated through
cuttings. (b) Six plants were grown besides physical supports (wire
meshes) for two years: five plants were used for self-supporting and
lianescent xylem (X.) anatomy characterization, carried at 4/5 of the
distance from the shoot apex to the base, in the same cross-section; and
one plant had the cambium and differentiating xylem sampled for
transcriptome assembling and differential gene expression analysis.
Tissue was sampled from 60 cm from the shoot apex (around the
10th internode) to the base of the stem (ca.20th internode). (c) Ten plants had lateral branches
and main stem apices pruned to stimulate the production of new branches
of the same age. They were grown for 32 months and were used to assess
the relationship between lianescent xylem production and physical
support attachment. (d) Five pruned plants were grown beside physical
supports. (e) The other five pruned plants were grown without physical
support. Scale bars: (a) and (c) 25 cm; (b), (d) and (e) 150 cm.