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Fig. 3. The cavitation fatigue phenomenon. (A) Water birch (Betula occidentalis Hook.) stems possess the same vulnerability curve between repeated measurements on the same material (first vs. second curves). (B) Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) stems show cavitation fatigue, wherein the second curve is much more vulnerable than the first (asterisks denote significant differences at the p < 0.01 level). Cavitation fatigue occurs naturally in intact, droughted plants and appears to be reversible in sunflower. From Hacke et al. (2001b).
