Table 1.

Model input for the base case, with values of parameters used in simulations

Parameter	Value and units	Description
r v	15 µm	Diameter of refilling vessel
r l	13·4 µm	Diameter of living cell
r o	1 mm	Diffusion distance of air
E r	100 MPa	Elastic modulus of living cells
Cs,lRT at t = 0	1·5 MPa	Initial osmotic pressure of living cells
P x	–0·5 MPa	Xylem hydrostatic pressure
L w,el	2·5 × 10–13 m s–1 Pa–1	Water conductivity of refilling/living cell interface
L s,el	10–7 m s–1	Solute permeability of refilling/living cell interface
σel	0·5	Reflection coefficient of refilling/living cell interface
L w,lx	2·5 × 10–14 m s–1 Pa–1	Water conductivity of living/xylem cell interface
L s,lx	0 m s–1	Solute permeability of living/xylem cell interface
σ	1	Reflection coefficient of living/xylem cell interface

The diameter of the living cell corresponds to a ratio of living to refilling vessel volume with a value of 0·8 (assuming that the vessels have the same lengths). The interface between the refilling vessel and the adjacent living cell over which water is exchanged is assumed to be half of the cylindrical wall area. The turgor pressure of the living cells is initially the sum of their osmotic pressure, with the pressure in the xylem being 1 MPa, i.e. the cells are in equilibrium with the xylem.