Data from: An alternative water transport system in land plants

The evolution of vascular tissue is a key innovation enabling plants to inhabit terrestrial environments. Here, we demonstrate extra-vascular water transport in a giant, prop-rooted monocot from Lord Howe Island. Pandanus forsteri (Pandanaceae) produces gutter-like leaves that capture rainwater, which is then couriered along a network of channels to the tips of aerial roots, where it is stored by absorptive tissue. This passive mechanism of water acquisition, transport, and storage is critical to the growth of aerial prop roots that cannot yet attain water via vascular conduction. This species therefore sheds light on the elaborate means by which plants have evolved to attain water.Longitudinal growthLongitudinal growth of roots in three treatments (control, stemflow diverted, and velamen removed). Growth is measured in centimeters after 22 months.longgrowthdata.csvRadial root growthThe radial growth of roots subject to three treatments (control, stemflow diverted, and valamen removed). Units are in the form of post-treatment:pre-treatment ratio. Measurements were taken 22 months after treatment.radialgrowthdata.csvRoot channel water experimentThe volume of water captured by root channels that had water experimentally poured onto them under two treatment conditions (control, channel disabled). Units are in mL of water captured. Root inclination is included as a covariate.rootexp.csvleavesLeaf morphology data (leaf length, width, and channel area).leafexpSimulated rainfall experiment with two treatments (channels present, channels disabled)