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Abstract Detail


Developmental and Structural Section

Schneider, Edward [1], Carlquist, Sherwin [1], Hellquist, C. Barre [2].

Stem tracheids of Nymphaeaceae have a distinctive pit membrane and primary wall microstructure unlike that of other vascular plants.

SEM studies of xylem of stems of all genera of Nymphaeaceae reveal a novel feature, not previously reported for any angiosperm. Pit membranes of tracheid end walls are composed of coarse fibrils, densest on the distal (outside surface, facing the pit of an adjacent cell) surface of the pit membrane of a tracheid, thinner and disposed at various levels on the lumen side of a pit membrane. The fibrils tend to be randomly oriented on the distal face of the pit membrane; the innermost fibrils facing the lumen take the form of longitudinally-oriented strands. Where most abundantly present, the fibrils tend to be disposed in a spongiform, three-dimensional pattern. Pores that interconnect tracheids are present within the fibrillar meshwork. Pit membranes on lateral walls of stem tracheids bear variously diminished versions of this pattern. Pits of root tracheids are unlike those of stems in that the lumen side of pit membranes bears a reticulum revealed on the outer surface of the tracheid when most of the thickness of a pit membrane is shaved away by the sectioning process. No fibrillar texturing is visible on the root tracheid pits when they are viewed from the inside of a tracheid. Tracheid end walls of roots do contain pores of various sizes in pit membranes. Microstructural patterns reported here for stem tracheid pits of Nymphaeaceae are not like those of Chloranthaceae, Hydatellaceae, Illiciaceae, or other basal angiosperms. They are not referable to any of the patterns reported for early vascular plants.


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1 - Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara, California, 93105-2199, USA
2 - Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Biology Department, North Adams, Massachusetts, 0122o, USA

Keywords:
xylem structure and function
pit membrane
Nymphaeaceae.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 4
Location: 212/SUB
Date: Monday, July 28th, 2008
Time: 9:00 AM
Number: 4005
Abstract ID:169


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