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Context: Kranz anatomy of locally developed sugarcane cultivars were studied in relation to C4 vascular arrangement. Objective: The objective of this study was to make gross cross-sectional anatomy and quantitative assessment of the anatomic traits of the leaf-blade and midrib of the sugarcane cultivars. Materials and Methods: Leaf blade and leaf sheath of two sugarcane cultivars Ishurdi 20 and Ishurdi 32 were used as the materials. Free hand section with appropriate stain were used. Sections were studied using an advanced biological system microscope fitted with motic camera. Anatomic traits were studied through motic image plus J 1.0 software using Macintosh computer. Results: Three sized vascular bundles and significant differences in distance between those vascular bundles were noted. Ishurdi 32 possessed two sized vascular bundles. Large vascular bundles characters by two large metaxylem vessels on either side of protoxylem. Phloem well developed. Intermediate and small bundles lack metaxylem vessels and protoxylem, but have metaphloem with thick and thin walled sieve tubes. Bundle sheaths have extended to upper and lower epidermis but for small bundle it is extended to abaxial epidermis. Vascular bundles are almost completely surrounded by chlorenchymatous bundle sheath and associated with hypodermal sclerenchyma on both abaxially and adaxially except small blade bundles which associated with the abaxial sclerenchyma. Bundle sheath cells were smaller in large and larger in other two types of vascular bundle. An inner mestome sheath with thickened walls is always present round the phloem and metaxylem around all or part of the xylem in large and intermediate bundles. In small bundles mestome sheath is altogether absent. Bulliform cells with varied area were present on the adaxial epidermis opposite to small vascular bundles. Midrib anatomy consists of central large vascular bundles lacking bundle sheath cells pushed deep inside parenchymatous hypodermis from abaxial hypodermal sclerenchyma girders. Lack of Kranz traits, and bundle sheath cells have transformed into sclerenchymatous bundle cover. Central mid-rib large bundle flanked by 3-10 small bundles on either side of midrib which have Kranz system of anatomy. Midrib region have continuous hypodermis consists of sclerenchyma cells and it is few layer (Ishurdi 32) to multilayer (Ishurdi 20). Conclusion: Kranz system with well developed bundle sheath associated with Kranz mesophil in the leaf blade were observed but Kranz tissue absent in midrib region. Large and small vascular bundles alternate all alone the leaf blade. Bulliform cell well develop indicates zeric adaptation. Two cultivars differ in respect of quantitative expression of Kranz tissue. Keywords: Sugarcane cultivar; Kranz tissue; bulliform cells; mestome sheath. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbs.v18i0.8778 JBS 2010; 18(0): 66-73

Electrically Recorded Feeding Behavior of Nephotettix cincticeps

The structural and functional characterization of the blade-sheath boundary region of a rice cultivar T65 and its near-isogenic line T65lg were examined by light and electron microscopy and in situ hybridization. Starch accumulation in bundle sheath cells was compared between the lamina joint of T65 and the corresponding region of T65lg and also between the lamina joint and the leaf blade. In the lamina joint of T65, starch grains were predominantly accumulated in bundle sheath cells, and the starch-containing chloroplasts within these cells were spherical in shape. On the other hand, in the blade-sheath transition region of T65lg, little starch accumulation was observed and the chloroplasts were oval in both mesophyll and bundle sheath cells. Furthermore, photosynthesis-related genes, rbcS and cab, were expressed in mesophyll cells within the blade-sheath transition region of T65lg as in the leaf blade and sheath, while no expression of these genes was found within the lamina joint of T65. These facts indicate that T65lg can not develop the lamina joint from either structural or functional aspect. The present results suggest that the control mechanism of starch accumulation in bundle sheath chloroplasts in the lamina joint differs from that in leaf blade in rice.

Dentre as plantas daninhas aquáticas imersas de maior importância nos reservatórios de usinas hidrelétricas e em represas de pequeno porte no Brasil, destacam-se as espécies Egeria densa e Egeria najas, cuja identificação pode ser difícil na fase vegetativa. O objetivo deste trabalho foi diferenciar cinco acessos de E. densa e três de E. najas, coletados nos reservatórios de Jupiá, Salto Grande, Três Irmãos, Promissão, Nova Avanhandava e Ibitinga, do complexo da Companhia Energética de São Paulo (CESP) do Estado de São Paulo, quanto às características anatômicas descritivas e quantitativas do limbo foliar, procurando-se obter melhor entendimento sobre as relações dessas estruturas anatômicas com a penetração e translocação de herbicidas, além de auxiliar na identificação de acessos suscetíveis e resistentes a determinado produto químico. Amostras do terço médio do limbo foram fixadas em FAA 50, cortadas transversalmente em micrótomo rotatório com 8 mm de espessura e coradas com azul-de-toluidina. Foi analisada a estrutura foliar e foram quantificados os caracteres anatômicos da nervura central (% epiderme das faces adaxial e abaxial, % feixe vascular e % parênquima) e da região situada entre a nervura e o bordo do limbo (% epiderme das faces adaxial e abaxial e espessura da folha). Os dados das variáveis quantitativas foram submetidos aos testes estatísticos multivariados de Análise de Agrupamento e Análise de Componentes Principais. Houve formação de três grupos principais: o primeiro foi constituído pelos três acessos de E. najas; o segundo, por quatro acessos de E. densa; e o terceiro, por apenas um acesso de E. densa. O caráter que mais contribuiu para a diferenciação entre os acessos foi a % feixe vascular da nervura central, seguido da % epiderme da face abaxial da nervura central e % epiderme das faces adaxial e abaxial da região entre a nervura e o bordo foliar. Concluiu-se que a utilização de caracteres anatômicos quantitativos permitiu auxiliar na diferenciação dos acessos e das espécies estudadas; entretanto, devem ser incrementados os estudos relacionando a estrutura anatômica com a resistência e suscetibilidade aos herbicidas.

In the leaf blades, sheaths and internodes of rice plants, the large and small vascular bundles are arranged longitudinally. When the longitudinal vascular bundles of the leaf blades are traced backward into the culm, the large vascular bundles extend downward through the leaf sheath and two internodes. The small vascular bundles, which are located in the middle between large vascular bundles of leaf blade, extend downward through the leaf sheath and one internode, and the other small vascular bundles end blindly at the base of leaf blade. In the leaf blades and sheaths, the longitudinal vascular bundles are laterally interconnected by the transverse veins. The transverse veins have the most simple composition of the vascular element, that is, a sieve tube, a vessel, and only two files of vascular parenchyma cells. In the leaf blades at lower levels of shoot, the small vascular bundle is surrounded by a single layer of parenchymatous sheath cells with dense chloroplasts. However, in the leaf blades at higher levels of shoot, the small vascular bundle is surrounded by two layers of sheath cells. The outer layer is consisted of parenchymatous sheath cells with small numbers of chloroplasts, and the inner layer is consisted of mestome sheath cells with thickened walls. The mestome sheath of the large vascular bundle is more developed than that of the small vascular bundle. The vascular bundles of the leaf sheaths and internodes have more companion cells and larger sieve tubes and vessels than those of the leaf blades. On this histological observations, the functional significance of the vascular bundles in rice plants is discussed.

Aims: Leaf epidermal morphology and petiole anatomy of seven Lannea species namely; Lannea velutina, Lannea kerstingii, Lannea egregia, Lannea schimperii, Lannea acida, Lannea microcarpa, and Lannea edulis in Nigeria were investigated to provide new taxonomic characters that could help in proper identification and delimitation of the taxa.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Jos, Nigeria between August 2020 and March 2021.
 Methodology: Transverse sections of petioles were cut using a rotary microtome and epidermal peels were made. Staining was done using Safranin and slides observed using a light microscope.
 Results: Stomatal distribution was hypostomatic except for L. velutina and L. edulis with amphistomatic distribution. Three stomata types are found; paracytic occurring in L. velutina, L. edulis and L. egregia, cyclocytic in L. schimperii and L. microcarpa and anomocytic in L. kerstingii and L. acida. Stomata index vary among taxa with L. egregia and L. acida having the highest (22.43%) and lowest (12.17%) respectively. The epidermal cell shape was polygonal in all the species and anticlinal wall patterns were straight to slightly curved. Unicellular/multicellular uniseriate trichomes were observed in L. schimperii, L. egregia and L. kerstingii distinguishing them from other species. Petiole outlines were circular to oval, epidermis was uniseriate and vascular bundles are collateral. Presence of continuous sclerenchyma rings surrounding the vascular bundles in L. kerstingii and L. microcarpa serve as a distinguishing character. Other distinguishing characters are presence of crystals, druses and phenolic idioblasts. A taxonomic key was produced using the anatomical character as an aid to the identification of the species.
 Conclusion: Variations observed in the stomata types, petiole outline, petiole vasculature type, trichome type and stomata index could be employed for species identification and delimitation.

Background: Luffa cylindrica (L.) M. Roem. (Cucurbitaceae) is an herbaceous plant used for food as compose salads and do sweets and also used in traditional medicine as treat parasitic infections and intestinal diseases. Although this information, there are not many relates about anatomic characters for use in your quality control. Objective: The aim was investigating the anatomical characters of petiole and leaf blade and characterizing the metabolites in the leaf blade of L. cylindrica. Materials and Methods: Semipermanent histological slides were prepared for analysis of petiole and leaf blade in optical microscopy. Histochemical tests were also performed in the leaf blade. Results: The anatomical study revealed information about the type of trichomes, cuticle, vascular bundles and arrangement of the tissues that determine the botanical identity of this species. It was also identifying, for the first time, the presence of two types of trichomes in both of leaf blades faces. The histochemistry allowed determining which metabolites are in the leaf blade and also their location. Conclusion: The study described new characters for L. cylindrica and the results provide support to quality control of the species.

<i>Eichhornia crassipes</i>

The two C4Panicumspecies examined differ in C4acid decarboxylation type and in developmental origin of bundle sheaths in major veins of their leaf blades. InPanicum effusumR.Br. (NAD‐malic enzyme type) both mesophyll (PCA) and chlorenchymatous bundle sheath (PCR) cells are derived from ground meristem. In contrast, inPanicum bulbosumH.B.K. (NADP‐malic enzyme type), bundle sheath cells are derived from procambium, while mesophyll develops from ground meristem. To test the hypothesis that the developmental divergence of bundle sheath and mesophyll cells would occur earlier when these two tissues had different ontogenetic origins (inP. bulbosum) than when these tissues had the same origin (inP. effusum), the development of major veins in each species was investigated. We measured cell length and cross sectional area, plastid and mitochondrial number, plastid area, vacuole area fraction, wall thickness and fraction adjacent to intercellular space using direct and digitizer measurements of transmission electron micrographs of leaf cross sections of successive developmental stages. Many of the statistically significant changes in the structural parameters measured occurred late in development of both species. The magnitude of developmental change inP. effusumPCR cells was sometimes more dramatic, viz. changes in cell and PCR plastid area, and in mitochondrion number per cell. However, earlier divergence of PCR and PCA length and volume, and wall fraction adjacent to intercellular space inP. bulbosumthan inP. effusumindicates that ontogenetic origin of PCR cells from procambium could determine the timing of at least some developmental events.

Variation in morphology, anatomy and chemistry of stems of Miscanthus genotypes differing in mechanical properties

Distribución geográfica y riqueza del género Cosmos (Asteraceae: Coreopsideae)

This study examines the role of light microscopic (LM) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) micromorphological traits of the epidermis in identifying and classifying invasive plants. SEM was conducted to increase our understanding of microscopic qualities that are not visible in light microscopy and to elucidate unclear affinities among invasive species. The study examines invasive species' morphological and anatomical characteristics from the Pothohar Plateau of Pakistan for the first time. The results showed that various micromorphological features are very useful for species' accurate identification. Adaxial and abaxial surfaces of leaves showed variations in subsidiary cells, glands, anticlinal wall patterns, stomata, and epidermal cells. Epidermal cell shapes observed were irregular, elongated, rectangular, and polygonal. Epidermal cells having maximum length were calculated in Stellaria media (126.3 μm) on adaxial side. On the abaxial surface, the minimum length was noticed in Eucalyptus camaldulensis (28.5 μm). Both glandular and nonglandular trichomes were examined, ranging from unicellular to multicellular. Most of the investigated specimens of leaves were amphistomatic, while some were hypostomatic, like Alternanthera pungens, Calotropis procera, Cannabis sativa, Lantana camara, and Thevetia peruviana. Leaf epidermal morphology contains numerous useful systematic features for accurate identifications of plant species. The micromorphological attributes under observation provide a standard criterion to the researcher for identifications of invasive flora in future morpho-taxonomic studies.

Nipa (Nypa Fruticans) is a palm tree that grows in wetlands and mangroves. Nipa fronds possess lignocellulose and hold the potential as a viable source for producing composite boards, pulp, and paper. This research aims to identify the anatomical and morphological characteristics of nipah fronds fiber, especially in the fibrovascular bundle. Nipa fronds were observed in the radial and longitudinal directions. There are four zones in the radial direction, consisting of the outer zone (convex and concave), middle zone, and inner zone. The longitudinal positions consist of the bottom, intermediate, and upper. Anatomical characteristics were observed using a light microscope focused on the fibrovascular bundle's characteristics. Fiber morphology was measured at each position with 20 repetitions of each measurement. The results showed that the number of FVB increased from the outer zone, especially convex towards the middle and inner zone. Thus, the outer fronds are denser than the inner zone. Based on observations of fiber morphology, the concave (radial) zone in the intermediate position (longitudinal) has the longest fiber compared to the other parts. Meanwhile, the cell wall thickness is greatest at the bottom of the concave zone. The widest lumen diameter is the convex zone at the bottom position. This research can conclude that the FVB of nipa palm fronds, both longitudinal and radial, are included in quality class III, which is good enough to be used as raw material for pulp and paper.

C4 plants have C4 photosynthetic cycle, a CO2-concentrating pump that functions across mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cells. M chloroplasts aggregate toward BS cells in response to environmental stress, which would contribute to adjustment in C4 photosynthetic cycle. However, it remains unclear whether M chloroplast movement is an intercellular response mediated by BS cells. One major challenge to resolve this is the difficulty in observing chloroplast movement due to scattering and absorption of observation light in live-leaf tissues. We established a live leaf-section imaging technique that enables the long-term observation of sections of chemically unfixed leaf blades, with which we quantitatively analyzed M chloroplast movements. Another challenge in clarifying the contribution of BS cells to M chloroplast movement is the selective ablation of BS cells without impairing M cell function. To investigate the necessity of BS cells for M chloroplast movement, we developed a method to remove BS cells only based on differences in shape between M and BS cells. We also found that chloroplasts in M cells without adjacent BS cell contents did not show typical aggregative movement. This indicates that the M chloroplast aggregative movement occurs during communication with BS cells.

Anatomical features of the leaves of Quercus L. species are presented in this study for the first time. Leaves are bifacial and the palisade parenchyma of Q. aegilops and Q. libani is stratified into two layers, of nearly equal width, while that of Q. infectoria and Q.macranthera composed of only one layer. The cortex of both midrib and petiole is well developed with collenchyma starting just beneath the epidermis. The collenchyma of Q. aegilops is extremly thick compared with that of other species. Vascular bundles of the midrib and petiole are completely enclosed by the two pericycle layers of fibers and sclerenchyma. While the number of vascular bundles and sclerenchyma groups cupping them is 3 and 2 for midribs of Q. aegilops and Q. libani respectively, the number turns into 2 vascular elements of different appearance in their petioles. Petiole secondary vascular bundles are well developed and their sclerenchyma groups more lignified in Q. infectoria but less developed and reduced in Q. macranthera. From the results, it is concluded that the leaf blade and petiole anatomical features can provide diagnostic characters for distinguishing Quercus species of Iraq. Results also strongly support placing Q. aegilops and Q. libani in the section Cerris but Q. infectoria is more reliable in the section Mesobalanus.