Shoot Apex Organization, Leaf Development and Behaviour of Vegetative Bud in Adiantum incisum Forsk.

Abstract

Shoot apex organization, leaf development and the initiation of apical bud from the rachis tip have been studied in A. incisum Forsk. The shoot apex has an apical meristem and a leaf initiates from a group of cells. The maturation of leaf is acropetal. The lenticular apical cell of the leaf looses its entity and gives rise to a group of columnar prismatic cells. From these cells an inverted pyramidal apical cell differentiates during the conversion of leaf tip into a shoot bud. Morphological nature of leaf has also been discussed and partial shoot hypothesis appears to be the best to understand the leaf as morphology and anatomy of compound leaf seems to give more evidence in support of partial shoot hypothesis.