LEAF ANATOMY, CHLOROPLAST ORGANIZATION AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC RATE OF HYPERHYDRIC EUCALYPTUS-SALIGNA SM MATERIAL

Morphological, anatomical and ultrastructural differences between leaf tissues of field-grown and normal and hyperhydric in vitro-cultured E ucalyptus saligna were investigated. Hyperhydric material showed abnor mal, often discontinuous development of the epidermis and cuticle. Sto mata were malformed. The leaf lamina appeared thickened and was charac terized by poor differentiation between the palisade and spongy mesoph yll. The chlorophyll content of hyperhydric material was significantly less than that of field-grown and normal cultured material. Hyperhydr ic leaves had a significantly lower chloroplast number per cell and ch loroplasts showed reduced thylakoid stacking. The gross photosynthetic rate of hyperhydric tissue was less than that of normal cultured mate rial.