Structure of Wood and Cambial Variant in the Stem of Dalbergia Paniculata Roxb.

IAWA Journal ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. B. Nair ◽  
H. Y. Mohan Ram

The wood of Dalbergia paniculata is unique as it consists of concentric layers of broad xylem, alternating with bands of narrow phloem. This anomaly results from the periodic formation of successive cambia in the secondary phloem. Some phloem parenchyma cells dedifferentiate to form a discontinuous ring of cambium. Such parenchyma cells have higher succinate dehydrogenase activity than the neighbouring cells of secondary phloem. The newly differentiated cambial layer functions bidirectionally, and its products give rise to xylem internally and phloem externally. The phloem along with cambium present internal to the newly formed xylem becomes included.The wood is diffuse-porous and the intervessel pits are vestured. The phloem has welldifferentiated sieve tube members and companion cells.

IAWA Journal ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.N.B. Nair

The stern of Spatholobus roxburghii, a tropicalliana, has alternating layers of xylem and phloem as a result of formation and activity of successive cambia. Successive cambial rings are developed by dedifferentiation of groups of parenchyma cells outside the discontinuous band of sclereid-fibres. The sclereid- fibre band is formed by the development of sclereids between the primary bark fibres. Each successive cambium first produces a layer of sclereid-fibres which separates the vascular tissue produced by one cambial ring from the other. After secondary growth, the epidermis is replaced by periderm. In the older stern phelloderm contributes to the formation of new cambiallayers. Secondary phloem has sieve tube members; companion cells, phloem parenchyma, phloem fibres and secretory cells. The wood shows a tendency towards ring-porosity only in the first xylem layer. The subsequent layers are diffuseporous. The vessels are wide and narrow. Perforated ray cells or radial vessels are frequent in the wood and probably help in vertical conduction by interconnecting vessel endings. In this scandent species parenchyma cells are abundant. It is inferred that they help the vessel segments to remain undamaged when the woody stern twists around supports.


1970 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lalit M. Srivastava

The origin of sieve elements and parenchyma cells in the secondary phloem of Austrobaileya was studied by use of serial cross sections stained with tannic acid – ferric chloride and lacmoid. In three important respects, Austrobaileya phloem recalls gymnospermous features: it has sieve cells rather than sieve-tube members; a significant proportion of sieve elements and companion cells arise independently of each other; and sieve areas occur between sieve elements and companion cells ontogenetically unrelated to each other. The angiospermous feature includes origin of most sieve elements and parenchyma, including companion cells, after divisions in phloic initials. In these instances companion cells show a closer ontogenetic relationship to sieve elements than do other parenchyma cells. The combination of gymnospermous and angiospermous features makes phloem of Austrobaileya unique when compared to that of all those species that have been investigated in detail. It is further suggested that the term albuminous cells is inappropriate and should be replaced by companion cells but that the ontogenetic relationship implicit in the definition of companion cells is too restrictive and should be abandoned.


1965 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
MC Wark

The companion cells of the secondary phloem of Pisum contain all the organelles characteristic of cells possessing an active metabolism. The cytoplasm of the companion cells shows little change during ontogeny. Complex plasmodesmata connect the sieve elements and companion cells. These are the only connections observed between the sieve elements and other phloem cells. New wall structures of the companion cells are described. These structures are here tentatively called trabeculae; they intrude into the cytoplasm, but never completely cross the cell. The trabeculae alter in appearance at the time when the sieve element nucleus and tonoplast disappear. The phloem parenchyma cells are large vacuolated cells wider in diameter but shorter in length than the sieve elements. They contain all the organelles found in normal photosynthetic tissue. The cytoplasm of the phloem parenchyma shows little change during ontogeny. Plasmodesmata of well-developed pit fields connect the phloem parenchyma with the companion cells. The phloem parenchyma does not communicate with the sieve elements.


IAWA Journal ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Esau ◽  
Vernon I. Cheadle

The secondary phloem of nine species in five genera of Winteraceae was examined with regard to features that could serve for taxonomic and phylogenetic evaluation of the family. The species examined were as follows: Bubbia pauciflora, B. semecarpoides, Drimys lanceolata, D. winteri, Exospermum stipitatum, Pseudo wintera axillaris, Zygogynum baillonii, Z. bicolor, and Z. vinkii. The nine species showed the following common characteristics: 1) origin from nonstoried vascular cambium with long fusiform initials; 2) ray system consisting of high multiseriate and high uniseriate rays; 3) occurrence of secondary partitioning in the differentiating phloem so that the sieve elements are much shorter than the tracheids; 4) lack of sharp differentiation between lateral sieve areas and those of the sieve plates; 5) predominance of compound sieve plates; 6) short companion cells, often single in a given sieve element; 7) phloem parenchyma cells in strands; 8) lack of specialised fibres (bast fibres) in the secondary phloem; 9) presence of nondispersing protein body in the sieve element protoplast. Features numbered 1, 2, 4-6 are considered to be indications of low evolutionary level. The significance of the other three features (3, 7-9) requires further evaluation. Among these three is the secondary partitioning the occurrence of which seems to imply that in some taxa the well known sequence of evolutionary shortening of cambial initials and their derivatives may be accelerated on the phloem side.


IAWA Journal ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kishore S. Rajput ◽  
K.S. Rao

Secondary growth in Achyranthes aspera, Alternanthera polygamous, A. pungens, A. sessilis, and A. triandra was achieved by the development of a cambial variant resulting in successive rings of xylem and phloem. Each new cambium was developed at a distance about two to three cells external to the phloem produced by the previous cambium. The development of phloem was not synchronous in the species studied. Phloem development started either simultaneously with xylem or after the formation of a few xylem derivatives. In Achyranthes, xylem production started first followed by the development of phloem. Phloem mother cells differentiated into sieve tube elements, companion cells and axial parenchyma. Xylem was storied and exclusively composed of axial elements. Radial elements were absent in all the xylem rings of the stem. Vessels were angular and mostly solitary, but radial and tangential multiples were also observed occasionally. Xylem fibres were nonseptate and nucleated. Development of phloem and the rayless nature of the xylem is discussed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document