DEVELOPMENTAL ANATOMY OF CORALLOID ROOTS IN CYCADS

Abstract

Coralloid roots of cycads were found to originate endogenously from the pericycle of apogeotropic secondary roots or adventitious roots that have become exposed or nearly exposed to the soil surface. All mature coralloid roots are susceptible to infection by algal endophytes, which seem to enter from the soil through a break in the dermal layers.In the coralloid roots the algae inhabit intercellular spaces in a definite zone that arises from the protoderm, and in which the cells elongate radially following algal infection. The zone is completely surrounded by a persistent rootcap which is interpreted by most authors as a secondary cortex. The secondary cortex was shown to be derived from the rootcap in this investigation.