Abstract
The scanning electron microscope is used to examine epidermal preparations belonging to three species of Gibasis, a genus allied to Tradescantia. The surface topography of the leaf is exposed for investigation at high magnifications, the observations add new information about structural projections from the surface and contribute to an understanding of silica deposition and its organization. Hairs of three main types occur: (1) short two-celled trichomes, hook or prickle hairs, (2) long uniseriate hairs consisting of four to six cells, (3) three-celled glandular micro-hairs. The arrangement and shape of epidermal cells and stomata are reported. Epidermal papillae were observed for the first time in two of the three species; their morphology is described in detail and their spacing expressed mathematically. Variations in the structure and distribution of silica cells are depicted, and new aspects of the silica bodies are displayed in relief. The taxonomic significance of these anatomical characters is discussed in relation to species and chromosome numbers.
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