Vascular architecture of the monocot Cyperus involucratus Rottb. (Cyperaceae).

Robert W. Korn

doi:10.1186/s40064-015-1641-z

Abstract

The arrangement of vascular bundles in the stems of monocots has been described repeatedly as “scattered.” But to the trained eye it is clearly ordered as verified by the use of the R index of Clark and Evans. The arrangement of bundles in leaves and sclerenchyma bundles in stems are also ordered. An equation was developed for the probability distribution frequencies (pdf) for leaf intervein distances which curiously also fits for cell size in proliferating tissues. Another equation was developed for the pdf for intervein distances in stems which can also be applied to epidermal deriviatives such as stomata and trichomes.

Highlights

Description of plant structure, namely, morphology and anatomy, can be carried out with different degrees of precision
The simplest method is that of qualitative geometry, is that of data collection and mathematically by an equation, the last of which should generate data comparable to that from actual tissue
An equation can be formulated that generates a pdf of cell sizes similar to that from real data

Summary

Introduction

Description of plant structure, namely, morphology and anatomy, can be carried out with different degrees of precision. A computer graphics program is developed that depicts the geometric description. Cell proliferation can be detailed by these four levels (Korn 2001). Cell arrays are cellular networks composed of space filling polygons. Data can be collected as to size of cells either in one, two or three dimensions and given as a probability density function (pdf ). An equation can be formulated that generates a pdf of cell sizes similar to that from real data. From the geometric description data can be collected on shape, namely, number and length of walls. Together cell size and shape can be joined into a computer graphics program. Later cell specialization can be added such as stomatal and trichome formation (Korn 1993)

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Conclusion