Biomechanics of selected arborescent and shrubby monocotyledons

• Tom Masselter,
• Tobias Haushahn,
• Samuel Fink and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1602–1619, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.154

• , Dracaena marginata, Dracaena fragrans and Dracaena reflexa, as well as a shrub-like species, Dracaena surculosa, were tested. In addition, another tree-like monocotyledon without secondary growth, Pandanus pygmaeus (Pandanaceae), was also tested. All tree-like Dracaenaceae were purchased from commercial

• statistics). The results for the radial Young’s moduli were plotted as a combination of a box–whisker plot and an error-bar plot of the mean ranks for each plant species except for Dracaena reflexa and D. surculosa for which no mechanical measurements could be performed (Figure 3B). Significances on the 5

Functional morphology, biomechanics and biomimetic potential of stem–branch connections in Dracaena reflexa and Freycinetia insignis

• Tom Masselter,
• Sandra Eckert and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 173–185, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.21

• in arborescent monocotyledons. For a better and quantitative understanding of the functional morphology of branch–stem-junctions in arborescent monocotyledons, we investigated the two species Dracaena reflexa and Freycinetia insignis. While D. reflexa is able to develop large arborescent forms with

• using solutions inspired by plant ramifications, e.g., in automotive and aerospace engineering, architecture, sports equipment and prosthetic manufacturing. Keywords: Biomimetics; branching; Dracaena reflexa; Freycinetia insignis; monocotyledons; Introduction One of the most conspicuous features of

• morphology and mechanics of branch–stem-junctions have yet not been analysed quantitatively. For our studies we chose two branched arborescent monocotyledons, Dracaena reflexa and Freycinetia insignis, in order to answer the following questions: How are the fibrous bundles in the main stem connected to those