Plant stems are one of nature's most impressive mechanical constructs. Their sophisticated
hierarchical structure and multifunctionality allow trees to grow more than 100 m tall. This …

A striking feature of early angiosperm lineages is the variety of life forms and growth forms,
which ranges from herbs, aquatic herbs, climbers, and epiphytes to woody shrubs and trees …

We provide an overview of research on climbing plants from Charles Darwin to the present
day. Following Darwin's interests, this review will focus on functional perspectives including …

The vascular system of lianas exhibits a number of shared features that result from
convergent evolution and are independent of their taxonomic affinities. This chapter …

Mechanical architectures of a wide range of climbing plants are reviewed from a wide
phylogenetic range and evolutionary contingencies. They include an herbaceous lycopod …

Bending and torsional properties of young roots and stems were measured in nine woody
angiosperms. The variation in mechanical parameters was correlated to wood anatomical …

This chapter compares some of the growth strategies associated with different attachment
and stem mechanics. It investigates some of the functional and developmentally variable …

• Premise of the study: A large range of growth forms is a notable aspect of angiosperm
diversity and arguably a key element of their success. However, few studies within a …

The related concepts of paedomorphosis in the secondary xylem, insular woodiness, and
secondary woodiness are reviewed and evaluated in order to clearly distinguish the …

Lianas are common in the Apocynaceae sl and are predominant in the subfamily
Secamonoideae. Shrub‐like taxa are rare within this subfamily but occur in Malagasy …