A qualitative analysis of the bud ontogeny of Dracaena marginata using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging

The development of the branch-stem-attachment of Dracaena marginata was analyzed to clarify how a load-adapted arrangement of mechanically relevant tissues, i.e. the vascular bundles with fiber caps, is established during ontogeny. For this purpose, 3D images of four intact and developing buds of D. marginata were repetitively acquired in vivo within the time span of 180 days using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, as this method allows for non-invasive and non-destructive image acquisition. This methodical approach enabled the classification of distinct ontogenetic stages revealing the complex ontogeny of the branch-stem-attachment in D. marginata and the establishment of a load-adapted tissue arrangement within the junction between branch and main stem. This further allows for a first biomimetic abstraction and the transfer into a technical implementation of the form-structure-function principles found in branchings in D. marginata.