Trajectories of principal directions of growth, natural coordinate system in growing plant organ

Abstract

In symplasticly growing organs the principal directions of growth, which are indicated by the eigenvectors of the symmetric part of the growth tensor, can be associated with each positional point and joined up to form a network of orthogonal trajectories, uolcss the growth is isotropic. The trajectories represent a natura( coordinate system suitable for description of growing orgaos. These trajectories often can be recognized in patterns of nonrandom aligoments in the cell wali network: these alignmeots are norma\ to anticlinal and periclinal walls. Coordioate systems that fit the trajectories in different types of growiog organ are listed.