Francisca I. Fuentes

The accumulation of crystal calcium oxalate (CaOx) in plants is linked to a type of stress-induced photosynthesis termed ‘alarm photosynthesis’, serving as a carbon reservoir when carbon dioxide (CO₂) exchange is constrained. Colobanthus quitensis is an extremophyte found from southern Mexico to Antarctica, which thrives in high-altitude Andean regions. Growing under common garden conditions, C. quitensis from different latitudinal provenances display significant variations in CaOx crystal accumulation. This raises the following questions: are these differences maintained under natural conditions? And is the CaOx accumulation related to mesophyll conductance (g_m) and net photosynthesis (A_N) performed in situ? It is hypothesized that in provenances with lower g_m, C. quitensis will exhibit an increase in the use of CaOx crystals, resulting in reduced crystal leaf abundance. Plants from Central Chile (33°), Patagonia (51°), and Antarctica (62°) were measured in situ and sampled to determine gas exchange and CaOx crystal accumulation, respectively. Both A_N and g_m decrease towards higher latitudes, correlating with increases in leaf mass area and leaf density. The crystal accumulation decreases at higher latitudes, correlating positively with A_N and g_m. Thus, in provenances where environmental conditions induce more xeric traits, the CO₂ availability for photosynthesis decreases, making the activation of alarm photosynthesis feasible as an internal source of CO₂.