Morphological and Ginsenoside Differences among North American Ginseng Leaves

Leaf characteristics of mature 2, 3 and 4-year-old North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) leaves on fruiting and non-fruiting(NF) plants were studied. Leaflets of the 2-year-old plants had the lowest fresh and dry weight, area, volume and internal gas volume. Inflorescence removal in 3-year-old plants did not affect leaf characteristics or ginsenoside concentration but in 4-year-old plants it increased leaf fresh (38.6%) and dry (43.9%) weight, leaf area (29.1%), specific leaf mass (11.4%), leaf volume (43.1%), and leaf thickness (12.1%), and decreased leaf water content (6.2%). Cultivated ginseng, although an understorey plant, had the specific leaf mass, 35.6 g $m^{-2}$ (range, 36 to 39 g $m^{-2}$) and a chlorophyll a/b ratio of 2.40 to 2.61, both suggesting the ability to perform like a sunny habitat plant. Also, specific leaf mass of 35.6 g $m^{-2}$ is similar to that reported for perennial plants, 36.8 g $m^{-2}$, rather than that for annuals, 30.9 g $m^{-2}$.