C1, C2, C3, or C4 - stomata that open or close - what the heck?, Does any
of this mean anything about how we actually go about growing these things?
Yes it does. The C stands for carbon, & the number refers to the pathway through which the plant stores or metabolizes carbon dioxide before using it. Some orchids, the ones with thick leaves, open the stomata at night to take in carbon dioxide, & close them during the day to avoid losing water in the heat of the sun. The significance of this to growers is that these orchids, such as cattleyas, must have a drop in temperature at night.
Iris
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)
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