Studies on Morphogenesis in Rice Plants. : 4. On the formation of epidermis and cortical fiber in culm.

Abstract

The process of the formation of epidermis and cortical fiber in the culm of rice plants was observed by histological methods. The eidermis has the zones of cell division, differentiation and elongation at the base of every internode, and the width of these zones alternates through the elongating period of each internode. Though the epidermal cells of lower internodes are shorter than those of higher internodes, the lower internodes have many longer and thicker cortical fiber cells than the higher internodes. It is due to the sliding growth by which the cortical fiber cells elongate vigorously in the lower internodes particularly. It was observed in general that the cortical fiber cells take about thirty days to make up the secondary cell wall after the end of each cell elongation.