The features of xylem tracheary elements in some herbaceous members of the family Convolvulaceae Horan.

Yevgeniya V Goremykina,Esong Linda Akime,Aleksandra D Azaryan,Kseniya Y Leshchina

doi:10.14258/turczaninowia.24.3.10

Abstract

Numerous narrow xylem tracheary elements (tracheids and vessels) are present in liana stems, along with a few wide vessels that perform the main water-conducting function. This trait, known as “vessel dimorphism”, has been identified in studies on water-conducting tissue in autotrophic plants, including a large number of perennial climbing plants and a number of annual vines. Information is lacking on the presence of vessel dimorphism in parasitic plants of the lianescent habit. In this study, we performed a structural analysis of stems in the autotrophic herbaceous vines of Convolvulus arvensis L. and Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br., as well as in the parasitic vines of Cuscuta monogyna Vahl, Cuscuta planiflora Ten., Cuscuta approximata Bab., and Cuscuta campestris Yunck., of the family of Convolvulaceae Horan. The xylem of C. arvensis and C. sepium contains a few wide conductive elements and many narrow ones. This feature is typical of autotrophic climbing plants. Only narrow tracheary elements are present in the xylem of the parasitic vines of the genus of Cuscuta L. (dodders). The total number of the tracheary elements is an order of magnitude less in the dodders than it is in the autotrophic vines. It is possible that the autotrophic ancestor of dodders lost the characteristic feature of the xylem of climbing plants, known as vessel dimorphism, during its transition to the parasitic lifestyle.

Highlights

Most representatives of the family of Convolvulaceae Horan. are climbing plants: self-supporting plants predominate in only two of the 12 tribes (Stefanović et al, 2003)
Information is lacking on the presence of vessel dimorphism in parasitic plants of the lianescent habit
Narrow tracheary elements are present in the xylem of the parasitic vines of the genus of Cuscuta L

Summary

Introduction

Most representatives of the family of Convolvulaceae Horan. are climbing plants: self-supporting plants predominate in only two of the 12 tribes (Stefanović et al, 2003). Most representatives of the family of Convolvulaceae Horan. The lianescent members of Convolvulaceae can be either autotrophic or heterotrophic, with the latter belonging to the genus of Cuscuta L. Dodders are rightly described as the best-known and most widespread parasitic plants, and they have a huge range of hosts. These parasites make their hosts susceptible to secondary infections, as well as inhibit their growth and reproductive function (Sharma et al, 2014; Kaiser et al, 2015). The genus of Cuscuta includes about 200 species (Nickrent, 2020). At least 16 representatives of the genus of Cuscuta serve as sources of valuable compounds that have a wide range of pharmacological activities (Noureen et al, 2019)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion