SEM studies on vessels in ferns. 11. Ophioglossum

Citation
El. Schneider et S. Carlquist, SEM studies on vessels in ferns. 11. Ophioglossum, BOTAN J LIN, 129(2), 1999, pp. 105-114
Citations number
21
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences
Journal title
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
ISSN journal
00244074 → ACNP
Volume
129
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
105 - 114
Database
ISI
SICI code
0024-4074(199902)129:2<105:SSOVIF>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
With scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the nature of metaxylem vessel ele ments and tracheids was examined in Ophioglossum crotalophoroides, O. pendu lum subsp. falcatum, and O. vulgatum roots and rhizomes. Vessels were ident ified in all species. End walls of vessel elements, which bear perforations , are like lateral wall pitting of those elements in the secondary wall fra mework and differ only in absence of pit membranes or presence of pit membr ane remnants. Some of the perforations contain pit membrane remnants that h ave large pores, small porosities, or are threadlike or weblike in structur e. Dimorphic perforations were found in some vessel elements of rhizomes of O. pendulum subsp, falcatum. Tracheids are very likely present in addition to vessels in all three species. The secondary wall framework of both trac heids and vessels is basically scalariform, although deviations in pattern are present. Vessel elements of Ophiglossum are entirely comparable to thos e of leptosporangiate ferns. (C) 1999 The Linnean Society of London.