Plasmodesmatal pores in the torus of bordered pit membranes affect cavitation resistance of conifer xylem

The pit membrane in bordered pits of conifer tracheids is characterized by a porous margo and central thickening (torus), which is traditionally considered to function as an impermeable safety valve against air-seeding. However, electron microscopy based on 33 conifer species, including five families and 19 genera, reveals that pores occur in the torus of 13 of the species studied. The pores have a plasmodesmatal origin with an average diameter of 51 nm and grouped arrangement. Evidence for embolism spreading via pores in tori is supported by the pore sizes, which correspond relatively well with the pressure inducing cavitation. Predictions based on earlier correlations between pit structure and cavitation resistance were only weakly supported for species with punctured tori. Moreover, species with punctured tori are significantly less resistant to cavitation than species with non-punctured tori. Nevertheless, absolute pore diameters must be treated with caution and correlations between theoretical and measured air-seeding pressures are weak. Because most pores appear not to traverse the torus but are limited to one torus pad, only complete pores would trigger air-seeding. Embolism spreading through a leaky torus is not universal across gymnosperms and unlikely to represent the only air-seeding mechanism.     

国产秋海棠属(秋海棠科)花粉形态及其分类学意义(英文)

秋海棠属是世界有花植物第六大属,是被子植物分类困难的类群之一,亟需增加形态性状的比较研究,以便于今后对该属开展分类学修订。该研究选取国产秋海棠属中较为常见的侧膜组、秋海棠组、单座组和二室组共21种,应用扫描电镜观察花粉微形态,探讨花粉形态对秋海棠属植物的分类学意义。结果表明:秋海棠属植物的花粉多为单粒花粉,辐射对称,等极,三孔沟,超长球形到长球形。选取9个稳定的花粉特征进行无序和不加权的性状编码,应用非线性多维标度分析对花粉特征矩阵进行聚类分析,结果支持这些组都不是单系类群需要重新修订,其中花粉边缘形状、极面观轮廓、萌发沟和花粉的外壁纹饰具有一定分类学意义,特别是塞缘特征具有重要的分类意义。根据塞缘特征可以将研究类群区分为2个类群:(A)无塞缘或塞缘光滑;(B)塞缘颗粒状。类群B中具规则颗粒状和精细颗粒状塞缘的种类聚在一起,而具粗糙颗粒状塞缘的种类位于类群A和B的中间,很可能是2个类群的过渡性状,这需要增加取样做进一步的研究。