Horticulture & Related FieldsNiall Whalen

Investigating Silica Depositional Capacity in the Critically Endangered Florida Torreya (torreya Taxifolia) and Its Relevance for Plant Health

The Florida Torreya (Torreya taxifolia) is one of the most endangered trees in the world, thought to be principally threatened by an infectious species of fungus. A potential treatment lies with phytoliths, microscopic deposits of silica produced by plants. When they form between cells, phytoliths inhibit disease progression by acting as barriers to pathogens. Florida Torreya in the wild produce few phytoliths—if they were to produce more, the tree might successfully fight off its devastating fungal infections. In partnership with the Atlanta Botanical Garden, this project examines phytolith depositional capacity in the Florida Torreya by growing them in soils with added silicon; measuring phytolith abundance after growth will reveal whether low-phytolith accumulation in Florida Torreya is due to a physiological tendency to exclude silicon or simply a lack of bioavailable silicon in its environment—insights with great relevance in assessing the potential of silicon as a promising therapeutic avenue to protect and restore fungally-infected Florida Torreya.