SYLLEPTIC BRANCHING IN MYRSINE FLORIDANA (MYRSINACEAE)

Abstract

Myrsine floridana produces all of its vegetative branches, other than those resulting from pruning or damage, by syllepsis, i.e. by the continuous development of an axillary meristem into a branch without an intervening stage of rest. These sylleptic branches, produced in series, have long and conspicuous hypopodia, broad pith connections with the parent axis, and expanded prophylls. Bud dormancy may be imposed when an axillary meristem is in the axil of the sixth or seventh youngest leaf of the parent shoot. Such axillary meristems may remain at the bud stage with only two pairs of scalelike leaves but these may later give rise to inflorescences or proleptic branches. Proleptic branches lack hypopodia, have narrow piths at their bases, and a series of leaves transitional from the original prophylls to normal foliage leaves within about ten leaves. Myrsine floridana has cortical bundles in the stem, related to the formation of minor lateral leaf traces. The hypopodia of sylleptic branches, since they are leafless, do not have cortical bundles.