Comparative anatomy and systematics of Catasetinae (Orchidaceae)

Catasetinae consist of five genera of pseudobulbous Orchidaceae of the Neotropics. Anatomy is characterized by sunken, three-celled foliar hairs, mostly tetracytic stomatal apparatuses, superficial stomata, homogeneous mesophyll, foliar fibre bundles, collateral vascular bundles in a single row, xylem and phloem sclerenchyma associated with vascular bundles in leaves, conical, and rough-surfaced silica bodies adjacent to vascular bundle sclerenchyma; epidermal cells of pseudobulbs with heavily thickened outer walls, pseudobulb ground tissue of assimilatory and water-storage cells, scattered vascular bundles in pseudobulbs, and sclerenchyma and stegmata associated only with phloem of pseudobulbs; roots with thin-walled velamen cells and tenuous spirals of cell wall material, distinctive epivelamen cells, thin-walled exodermal cells and vascular tissue embedded in parenchyma. Except for mucilaginous idioblasts that occur in Mormodes and Cycnoches , there are few outstanding anatomical differences among the five genera. Thus, there are few anatomical characteristics of phylogenetic value. The monophyly of Catasetinae is supported by the presence of sunken foliar hairs. Our results support a close relationship between Clowesia and Catasetum , and between Mormodes and Cycnoches. Among the outgroups Pteroglossaspis is especially distinctive.     

Comparative vegetative anatomy and systematics of Vanilla (Orchidaceae)

Vanilla is a pantropical genus of green-stemmed vines bearing clasping (aerial) and absorbing (terrestrial) roots. Most vanillas bear normal, thick foliage leaves; others produce fugacious bracts. Seventeen species, including both types were studied. Foliage leaves of Vanilla are glabrous, have abaxial, tetracytic stomatal apparatuses, and a homogeneous mesophyll. Species may or may not have a uniseriate hypodermis. Crystals occur in the foliar epidermises of some species, but all species have crystalliferous idioblasts with raphides in the mesophyll. Vascular bundles in leaves are collateral and occur in a single series alternating large and small. Sclerenchyma may or may not be associated with the vascular bundles. Scale leaves may be crescent or C-shaped and usually have abaxial stomatal apparatuses. A hypodermis may or may not be present; the mesophyll contains raphide bundles in idioblasts. Vascular bundles are collateral and occur in a single row sometimes aligned close to the adaxial surface. They may or may not be associated with sclerenchyma. Stems of leafy vanillas show a sclerenchyma band separating cortex from ground tissue; stems of leafless vanillas do not show a sclerenchyma band. Ground tissue of the stem may consist solely of assimilatory cells or mixed assimilatory and water-storage cells. In some species centrally located assimilatory cells are surrounded by layers of water-storage cells. A uniseriate hypodermis is present in all stems. Sclerenchyma may completely surround the scattered collateral vascular bundles, occur only on the phloem side, or be absent. Both aerial and terrestrial roots are notable for their uniseriate velamen the cell walls of which may be unmarked or ornamented with anticlinal strips. Exodermis is uniseriate; the cells vary from barely thickened to strongly thickened. Only the outer and radial walls are thickened. Cortical cells of aerial roots generally have chloroplasts that are lacking from the same tissue of terrestrial roots. Raphide bundles occur in thin-walled cortical idioblasts. Endodermis and pericycle are uniseriate; pericycle cells are all ?-thickened opposite the phloem. Cells of the endodermis are either ?- or ∪-thickened opposite the phloem. Vascular tissue may be embedded in thin- or thick-walled sclerenchyma or in parenchyma. Metaxylem cells are always wider in terrestrial than in aerial roots of the same species. Pith cells are generally parenchymatous but sclerotic in a few species.     

Stegmata in Orchidales: character state distribution and polarity

The- distribution of stegmata in Orchidales is given for 130 species representing 105 genera. The stegmata occur in leaves and stems as longitudinal files of silica cells. lining fibre bundles or vascular bundle sheaths. The silica bodies contained in orchid stegmata arc of two major kinds, spherical and conical. The species investigated are characterized either by a single kind of silica body or by lack of silica cells. Absence of stegmata and presence of stegmata with conical bodies are the two most common character states in the order. The stegmata containing spherical bodies characterize Vandeae and Eriinae, Podochilinae, and Dendrobiinae within Epidendreae
Comparison of character slates of the various groups within the family is used for a discussion of evolutionary polarity. The function of silica accumulation is reconsidered in the light of the epiphytic life-form of many of the investigated orchids.     

Systematic and comparative anatomy of Maxillarieae (Orchidaceae), sans Oncidiinae

On the basis of floral and vegetative morphology, 63 tropical American genera have been recognized within Maxillarieae. We were able to examine anatomical material of all subtribes, excluding Oncidiinae. Stegmata with conical silica bodies occur in leaves and stems of all subtribes excluding Ornithocephalinae, and pericyclic stegmata found in roots are characteristic of Lycastinae. Lycastinae and Maxillariinae are characterized by foliar glands, foliar fibre bundles and tilosomes. Endodermal cells are U-thickened in most Zygopetalinae; O-thickened in most Lycastinae, Ornithocephalinae and Telipogoninae; variously thickened in Maxillariinae; and thin-walled in Cryptarrhena lunata . Water-storage cells varied from thin-walled to variously banded throughout Maxillarieae. Cladistic analyses using anatomical characters yielded no resolution among subtribes, illustrating that anatomical characters are of limited value in assessing relationships within this tribe.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 144 , 251–274.     

Comparative anatomy of Sirhookera (Orchidaceae) growing in Western Ghats of southern India

We compared the anatomical characteristics of vegetative organs, peduncle and mycorrhizal morphology of the two known species of Sirhookera (Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae) to identify anatomical markers for identification and the ecological adaptations of these species. The leaves are hypostomatic bearing tetracytic stomata and the walls of subsidiary cells are smooth in Sirhookera lanceolata and undulate in Sirhookera latifolia. On the adaxial and abaxial surfaces the leaves are covered by a thick cuticle. The hypodermis is dimorphic and present on both sides of the leaf; chlorenchyma is homogenous and the vascular bundles are collateral. The rhizome of Sirhookera possesses a single-layered epidermis, thick cuticle, thin-walled parenchymatous ground tissue containing starch grains and scattered collateral vascular bundles. A thick-walled sclerenchymatous band separates the cortex from the parenchymatous ground tissue comprising of banded cells in the peduncle. Starch grains are present in the ground tissue of the S. latifolia peduncle. The roots consist of the velamen, ∩-thickened exodermis, thin-walled cortex consisting of water-storage cells, O-thickened endodermis and a vascular cylinder with parenchymatous pith. Starch grains are present in the root cortical cells of S. lanceolata but absent in S. latifolia. Fungal pelotons that aids in nutrient acquisition were observed in the root cortical region of both species. The study revealed significant differences between the anatomical characteristics of the two species and that most of the anatomical features of Sirhookera relate to their ecological adaptations.     

Comparative anatomy and systematics of Senghas's cushion species of Maxillaria (Orchidaceae)

Using data obtained through anatomy and morphology, we used cladistics to examine the monophyly of Senghas's proposed classification of Maxillaria cushion plants and his placement of Mormolyca ringens. Trignidium obtusum was chosen as the outgroup. Leaves have multicellular hairs sunken in crypts, primarily anomocytic or primarily tetracytic stomatal apparatuses, homogeneous mesophyll, and scattered fibre bundles. Three types of adaxial hypodermis were observed: (1) water-storage cells, (2) fibre bundles scattered among water-storage cells, and (3) fibre bundles scattered among chlorenchymatous cells. Abaxial hypodermis of fibre bundles occurs in several Maxillaria species and in Trigonidium obtusum. At the midvein of the leaf, adaxial mesophyll cells of most species are anticlinally extended and empty, and the abaxial mesophyll is usually collenchymatous. Vascular bundles are collateral and usually in a single series. Pseudobulb epidermal cell walls are thin, or outer walls are thickened. Ground tissue consists of water-storage and assimilatory cells with vascular bundles and associated lacunae scattered throughout. Roots are velamentous and exodermal cell walls are usually n-thickened with tenuous bands of scalarifom thickenings on longitudinal walls. Tilosomes may be plaited, baculate, or spongy. Endodermal cell walls are usually U-thickened and pericycle cell walls are usually O-thickened opposite phloem sectors. Stegmata line the periphery of the thickened pericycle cells opposite phloem sectors in M. picta. Pith may be parenchymatous or sclerenchymatous. According to our phylogenetic analysis, Mormolyca ringens is consistently nested within the cladistic structure of Maxillaria. Therefore, Maxillaria likely is paraphyletic if Mormolyca ringens is recognized as generically distinct. It appears that Senghas's subgroup divisions of the unifoliate pseudobulbous maxillarias may also be artificial.     

Taxonomic significance of leaf anatomy of Aniselytron (Poaceae) as an evidence to support its generic validity against Calamagrostis s. l.

A comparative study of leaf anatomy on Aniselytron Merr. and Calamagrostis Adans. s. l. was conducted to review the systematic status of Aniselytron Merr. Calamagrostis s. l. exhibits wide variation in many features, but basic leaf structures of the genus remain constant: absence of a midrib-keel; median and large vascular bundles are central, with double sheaths, accompanied by girders both adaxially and abaxially; prickles have a bulbous base and are not sunken; the abaxial epidermal cells are short and wide and relatively thick-walled. Aniselytron differs from Calamagrostis s. l. in: midrib-keel is present, consisting of a large central bundle with small ones on either side; all vascular bundles are abaxially situated, with abaxial girders only, parenchyma takes the place of the adaxial sclerenchyma; the bases of the prickles are sunken and are not bulbous; the abaxial epidermal cells are tall and thin-walled. These distinct anatomical features, in combination with the differences in spikelet structure and habitat, suggest that Aniselytron should be generically separated from and not merged with Calamagrostis s. l. Due to the adaxial parenchyma in the midrib which has never been found in Pooideae, Aniselytron might have a relationship with some other subfamily.     

Vegetative anatomy of subtribe Orchidinae (Orchidaceae)

Leaves in Orchidinae are essentially glabrous; anticlinal walls of foliar epidermal cells arc basically straight-sided to curvilinear, and cells arc fundamentally polygonal on both surfaces; adaxial cells are larger than abaxial cells. Stomata arc anomocytic and usually only abaxial and superficial; substomatal chambers are small to moderate; outer and inner guard cell ledges are mostly small. There is no hypodermis nor are there fibre bundles. Mesophyll is homogeneous, chlorcnchyma cells arc thin-walled, and intercellular spaces numerous. Crystalliferous idioblasts abound. Vascular bundles are collateral, organized in a single series. and lack associated sclerenchyma. Bundle sheath cells are thin-walled and chlorophyllous. Stems are glabrous; stomata arc frequent in one species, lacking in others. Cortical cells are oval to circular, thick-walled, and interspersed with triangular intercellular spaces. Ground-tissue cells are circular, and triangular intercellular spaces are present. Vascular bundles arc collateral and scattered throughout the ground-tissue or are absent from the central ground-tissue. Epidermis in absorbing roots is one-layered and non-velamcntous. Exodcrmal cells are thin-walled and dead cell walls bear tenuous scalariform bars; some species lack an exodermis. Outer cortical cells are polygonal and lack intercellular spaces; middle layer cortical cells are rounded with triangular intercellular spaces; inner layer cells are polygonal and lack intercellular spaces. Endodermis and pericycle are thin-walled and one-layered. Vascular cylinder is mostly 7–9-arch with xylcm and phloem components alternating regularly; vascular tissue is embedded in parenchyma; pith cells are parenchymatous, polygonal, thin-walled and lack intercellular spaces. Root tubers generally bear a velamen of variable thickness; bulbous-based unicellular hairs frequently form a dense mat; exodermal cells are thin-walled; dead cells have scalariform bars, passage cells are sparse. Ground-tissue consists of rounded water-storage and assimilatory cells interspersed with triangular or quadrangular intercellular spaces; peripheral cells arc polygonal lacking intercellular spaces. Vascular tissue consists of monarch to pentarch meristeles distributed thoughout the ground-tissue each surrounded by a uniscriale endodermis of thin-walled cells. Thin roots ofPlalanthera exhibit a typical central cylinder surrounded by a homogeneous cortex uninterrupted by meristeles; thicker roots show a central vascular cylinder and cortex in which meristeles are also present; in globoid root tubers there is no central cylinder, and the ground-tissue is replete with scattered meristeles. Because the central vascular cylinder in Platanthera gives rise to branches (meristeles), these represent components of a single vascular system and are not separate stelar entities as implied by the use of the term ‘polystele’.     

Plenasium xiei sp. nov. from the Cretaceous of Northeast China: Additional evidence for the longevity of osmundaceous ferns

A new species of the Osmundaceae, Plenasium xiei sp. nov., is herein described from the Cretaceous of Northeast China. The specimens examined here represent the earliest unequivocal record of the extant genus Plenasium in Eurasia based on fossil rhizomes. The rhizome consists of a central stem with a mantle of petiole bases and adventitious roots. The stem contains an ectophloic‐dictyoxylic siphonostele and a two‐layered cortex. The C‐shaped leaf trace bears two protoxylem bundles at the point of separation from the stele. The pith is heterogeneous. The parenchymatous inner cortex is thinner than the sclerenchymatous outer cortex. Lobed sclerenchyma bands occur at the adaxial sides of the stem xylem strands, in the concavity of the leaf trace, and along the adaxial side of the vascular bundles of the petiole base. In distal petiole portions, the sclerenchyma band splits into several groups in the transverse view. Sclerenchyma rings are heterogeneous with an abaxial sclerenchymatous arc of thick‐walled fibers. Numerous sclerenchyma strands of thick‐walled fibers appear in the petiolar inner cortex and the stipular wing. These fossils provide unambiguous evidence for the existence of subgenus Plenasium of modern Plenasium by at least the Late Cretaceous, demonstrating the longevity of this extant subgenus. Altogether the leaf and rhizome fossil records of Plenasium indicate that this genus was widely distributed across North America and Eurasia from the Early Cretaceous to the Early Cenozoic, followed by a range restriction to Eurasia in the Late Cenozoic. Extant Plenasium species are only known from East and Southeast Asia.     

Comparative vegetative anatomy and systematics of the Oncidiinae (Maxillarieae, Orchidaceae)

Subtribe Oncidiinae comprises a vegetatively heterogeneous assemblage of species that has persistently been incapable of organization. Anatomy was considered to be a possible means to resolve the perplexity of relationships amongst the constituent taxa. The consistent occurrence of a foliar hypodermis, homogeneous mesophyll, conical silica bodies in stegmata, and ubiquitous fibre bundles in leaves provides a matrix for linking the taxa, as do the parenchymatous pith and O-thickened endodermal cell walls in roots. However, the strict consensus of the 40 genera studied was completely unresolved, suggesting that vegetative characters alone are insufficient to assess the relationships amongst these taxa, a conclusion also reached for the remainder of Maxillarieae.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 152 , 91–107.     

Vegetative anatomy of subtribe Habenariinae (Orchidaceae)

Leaves of Habenariinae are characterized by anomocytic stomatal apparatuses, homogeneous mesophyll, collateral vascular bundles in a single series, and thin-walled bundle sheath cells. There is no foliar sclerenchyma nor a hypodermis. Cauline cortex consists of thin-walled living cells among which are large and numerous intercellular spaces. The ground tissue is bordered externally by a layer of thick-walled living cells, except in Habenaria repens. Central ground tissue cells are living, and usually thin-walled surrounding intercellular spaces of various dimensions. These are conspicuously large in H. repens. Collateral vascular bundles are scattered across the ground tissue. Sclerenchyma is absent. Absorbing roots are generally velamentous, exodermal dead cells are diin-walled, and passage cells usually have a thickened outer wall. A regular vascular cylinder is present, and vascular tissue is embedded in parenchyma. Root tubers are velamentous, exodermal cells are usually thin-walled, and passage cells frequently have thickened outer walls. Vascular tissue of root tubers is organized into two classes: (1) those with a single vascular cylinder surrounded by a cortex and (2) those with a series of meristeles dispersed throughout the ground tissue. In group (1) cortex is homogeneous either with or without mucilage cells except in Stenoglattis where the cortex is heterogeneous, consisting of water-storage and assimilatory cells, and lacks mucilage cells. In group (2) the ground tissue consists of larger mucilage-containing cells and smaller assimilatory cells.     

Comparative anatomy and systematics of the orchid tribe Vanilleae excluding Vanilla

Vanilleae have been divided into three subtribes consisting of ten genera. We had material for study of all except Dictyophyllaria in subtribe Vanillinae. All genera except Vanilla have few species; Clematepistephium and Dictyophyllaria are monospecific. Leafy types have adaxial and abaxial stomata except Clematepistephium, Epistephium , and Eriaxis which have only abaxial tetracytic and anomocytic stomatal apparatuses. Cyrtosia, Erythwrchis, Galeola , and Lecanorchis are leafless. Hypodermis occurs in leaves of Pseudovanilla, Clematepistephium , and Eriaxis; leaves of Epistephium lack a hypodermis. Mesophyll is homogeneous. Stems of Cyrtosia, Galeola , and Eriaxis and rhizomes of Cyrtosia have a hypodermis. A uniseriate velamen occurs in roots of Erythrorchis, Pseudovanilla, Clematepistephium , and Lecanorchis; roots of other genera are bounded by a simple epidermis. Exodermal cell walls are n-thickened; endodermal cell walls are O-thickened. Vascular tissue of roots is variously embedded in sclerenchyma or parenchyma; similarly, pith may be sclerenchymatous or parenchymatous. Cladistic analyses result in two equally parsimonious trees with Epistephium and Eriaxis reversed in placement in each tree. Both trees constitute a paraphyletic complex giving rise to a clade containing the monophyletic Lecanorchidinae and Galeolinae. Vegetative anatomical characters have some phylogenetic value in Vanilleae, but they are not useful in resolving placement of the large and polymorphic genus Vanilla.     

泽米科植物羽片脉序和解剖学及其系统学意义

研究了苏铁目泽米科Zamiaceae 2亚科的所有4族(Stevenson系统, 1992)共10种代表植物的羽片脉序及解剖学特征,结果显示泽米科羽片脉序为二歧分叉的平行脉,无中脉。小刺双子铁Dioon spinulosum、大头非洲铁Encephalartos friderici-guilielmii和摩尔大泽米Macrozamia moorei等的平行脉末端以不同的形式互相连接,而鳞木铁Lepidozamia peroffskyana、粗壮角果铁Ceratozamia mexicana var. robusta、竹叶角果铁C. hildae、佛州泽米Zamia　floridana、柔叶泽米Z. debilis、鳞秕泽米Z. furfuracea和短尖泽米Z. muricata等的平行脉末端不连接而直达叶缘,其中鳞木铁、粗壮角果铁和竹叶角果铁的脉达叶缘后逐渐消失。羽片的横切面结构通常由表皮、下皮厚壁细胞和叶肉组成,表皮层包括上、下表皮各一层,叶肉可能同时分化出近上表面的栅栏组织和近下表面的栅栏组织,或仅有近上表面的栅栏组织分化,或无栅栏组织分化而完全为海绵组织。然而,泽米科没有典型的海绵组织和传输组织分化。小刺双子铁、大头非洲铁、鳞叶木铁和摩尔大泽米的羽片具有粘液道而无工字厚壁组织,在小刺双子铁中粘液道与维管束对生,在另3种中则与维管束轮生;但粗壮角果铁、竹叶角果铁、佛州泽米、柔叶泽米、鳞秕泽米和短尖泽米的羽片则具有工字厚壁组织而没有粘液道,其中粗壮角果铁和竹叶角果铁的羽片工字厚壁组织仅与上表皮相连,而佛州泽米、柔叶泽米、鳞秕泽米和短尖泽米的羽片工字厚壁组织与上、下表皮都相连。羽片脉序和解剖学特征支持Stevenson将泽米铁科分为两亚科的观点。     

Ultrastructure of and plasmodesmatal frequency in mature leaves of sugarcane

Vascular bundles and contiguous tissues of leaf blades of sugarcane (Saccharum interspecific hybrid L62–96) were examined with light and transmission electron microscopes to determine their cellular composition and the frequency of plasmodesmata between the various cell combinations. The large vascular bundles typically are surrounded by two bundle sheaths, an outer chlorenchymatous bundle sheath and an inner mestome sheath. In addition to a chlorenchymatous bundle sheath, a partial mestome sheath borders the phloem of the intermediate vascular bundles, and at least some mestome-sheath cells border the phloem of the small vascular bundles. Both the walls of the chlorenchymatous bundlesheath cells and of the mestome-sheath cells possess suberin lamellae. The phloem of all small and intermediate vascular bundles contains both thick- and thin-walled sieve tubes. Only the thin-walled sieve tubes have companion cells, with which they are united symplastically by pore-plasmodesmata connections. Plasmodesmata are abundant at the Kranz mesophyll-cell-bundlesheath-cell interface associated with all sized bundles. Plasmodesmata are also abundant at the bundle-sheathcell-vascular-parenchyma-cell, vascular-parenchyma-cellvascular-parenchyma-cell, and mestome-sheath-cell-vascular-parenchyma-cell interfaces in small and intermediate bundles. The thin-walled sieve tubes and companion cells of the large vascular bundles are symplastically isolated from all other cell types of the leaf. The same condition is essentially present in the sieve-tube-companion-cell complexes of the small and intermediate vascular bundles. Although few plasmodesmata connect either the thin-walled sieve tubes or their companion cells to the mestome sheath of small and intermediate bundles, plasmodesmata are somewhat more numerous between the companion cells and vascular-parenchyma cells. The thick-walled sieve tubes are united with vascular-parenchyma cells by pore-plasmodesmata connections. The vascular-parenchyma cells, in turn, have numerous plasmodesmatal connections with the bundle-sheath cells.This study was supported by National Science Foundation grants DCB 87-01116 and DCB 90-01759 to R.F.E. and a University of Wisconsin-Madison Dean's Fellowship to K. R.-B. We also thank Claudia Lipke and Kandis Elliot for photographic and artistic assistance, respectively.     

ANATOMICAL STUDIES OF CYATHEA AND TRICHIPTERIS (CYATHEACEAE)

Comparative anatomical studies of the mature stems of two species each of Trichipteris and Cyathea (Cyatheaceae) are described. The outermost boundary of the stem is typically a two-layered hypodermis. Mucilage-sac cells are randomly distributed in all parenchymatous areas of the stem and form articulated laticifer systems. Localized areas of sclerenchyma tissue occur in the cortex of both T. microphylla and C. suprastrigosa. All species studied possess medullary bundles, whereas cortical bundles are found only in T. trichiata. Accessory bundles occasionally are associated with indentations in the internal stelar sheath of T. trichiata. The stelar pattern in each genus is a dictyostele and consists of individual meristeles. Distinctive cubical cells typically occur wherever sclerenchymatous fibers and parenchyma cells abut one another. Tangential cells occur within the primary phloem of each meristele, and occasionally within the larger accessory bundles. The primary xylem of the adventitious roots is typically diarch, although triarch and tetrarch xylem may occur. Leaf traces and petiole strands are similar anatomically to the accessory bundles. Based upon this study Trichipteris and Cyathea show striking anatomical similarities, and appear to be closely-related taxa.     

Leaf and twig anatomy of Eriope, a xeromorphic genus of Labiatae

The leaf and twig anatomy of 25 species of the genus Eriope were studied. The twig anatomy is very uniform apart from the level of formation of early layers of cork. Leaf anatomy shows considerable variation between the species, and this is correlated to some extent with the extreme habit range from trees to woody herbs. Characters of the lamina that show variation are: trichome type and frequency, cuticular markings, leaf dorsiventral or isobilateral, presence of adaxial stomata, presence of a hypodermis, number of layers of adaxial palisade mesophyll cells, occurrence of large bundles of phloem fibres at main veins, type of areolation and marginal venation. Petiole vasculature is simple and generally with either four distinct vascular bundles or two vascular arcs. The most xeromorphic species are usually woody herbs or sub-shrubs, and tend to have thick, isobilateral leaves with large bundles of phloem fibres and few hairs, or strongly dorsiventral leaves with a hypodermis and stomata in deep abaxial hair-lined depressions. The correlation of xeromorphic characters with environmental conditions is discussed. Leaf anatomy is of limited value in elucidating relationships within the genus.     

Systematics and biology of silica bodies in monocotyledons

Many plants take up soluble monosilicic acid from the soil. Some of these plants subsequently deposit it as cell inclusions of characteristic structure. This article describes the distribution and diversity of opaline silica bodies in monocotyledons in a phylogenetic framework, together with a review of techniques used for their examination, and the ecology, function and economic applications of these cell inclusions. There are several different morphological forms of silica in monocot tissues, and the number of silica bodies per cell may also vary. The most common type is the “druse-like” spherical body, of which there is normally a single body per cell, more in some cases. Other forms include the conical type and an amorphous, fragmentary type (silica sand). Silica bodies are most commonly found either in the epidermis (e.g., in grasses, commelinas and sedges) or in the sheath cells of vascular bundles (e.g., in palms, bananas and orchids). Silica-bearing cells are most commonly associated either with subepidermal sclerenchyma or bundle-sheath sclerenchyma. Silica bodies are found only in orchids and commelinids, not in other lilioid or basal monocots. In orchids, silica bodies are entirely absent from subfamilies Vanilloideae and Orchidoideae and most Epidendroideae but present in some Cypripedioideae and in the putatively basal orchid subfamily Apostasioideae. Among commelinid monocots, silica bodies are present in all palms, Dasypogonaceae and Zingiberales but present or absent in different taxa of Poales and Commelinales, with at least four separate losses of silica bodies in Poales.     

A NEW SPECIES OF PICEA BASED ON SILICIFIED SEED CONES FROM THE OLIGOCENE OF WASHINGTON

Picea eichhornii n. sp. is described from anatomically preserved seed cones. The fossils are from the Early Oligocene Jansen Creek Member of the Makah Fm. which is exposed along the northern shore of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. The cones are at least 5.5 cm long and up to 3.5 cm in diameter. The cone axis is 4–6 mm in diameter and contains a pith made up of thick-walled parenchyma cells. Resin canals occur in a single ring in the secondary xylem in some specimens but are absent in others. The cortex is mostly parenchymatous and contains numerous large axial resin canals that branch to supply the bract and scale. Vascular traces to each scale and its subtending bract diverge separately from the vascular cylinder of the cone axis. The bract is tongue-shaped and keeled at its base. It is 5 mm wide and up to 9 mm long. The bract trace fades out before entering the bract base while two resin canals extend into the bract base. The ovuliferous scale is about 2.3 cm long and has a thin, probably papery, apex. Resin canals of the scale occur abaxial to the vascular tissue in the scale base, but some bend around the margins of the vascular strand to become adaxial outward. About 20 resin canals occur in the abaxial scale sclerenchyma, and this is the main anatomical feature that distinguishes these cones as a new species. There are less than 14 such canals in cones in a reference collection of 15 modern species and in the two fossil species known from anatomically preserved material. While the new species adds to our knowledge of the diversity of Cenozoic Picea, its affinities within the genus remain undetermined.     

Stem anatomy of Turbinicarpus s.l. (Cacteae,Cactaceae) and its contribution to systematics

The stem anatomy of Turbinicarpus s.l. was studied with the aims of finding characters to support the three clades (Rapicactus, Kadenicarpus, and Turbinicarpus) in which Turbinicarpus s.l. was recovered in the most recent phylogeny of the Cacteae tribe. Thirty-five taxa were prepared, and their tissues were compared. Substantial variation was found in the epidermal surface. The hypodermis has concentric druses (Rapicactus clade) or prismatic crystals (Kadenicarpus and Turbinicarpus clades) in the cell lumina. There are abundant collateral cortical bundles, but they are amphicribal in a few taxa, and xylary fibers occur in the Kadenicarpus clade. All members of Turbinicarpus s.l. have phloem without sclerenchyma and nonfibrous wood, except for T. subterraneus, which has wood with few fibers. The periderm has an epidermal origin, and the phellem may have thin-walled cells or alternating thin- to thick-walled layers. Our results support the three clades. The Kadenicarpus clade comprises the species with xylary fibers in cortical bundles, but it shares prismatic crystals in the hypodermis, thin-walled phellem cells and partially dilated rays with the Turbinicarpus clade. The members of the Rapicactus clade have concentric druses in the hypodermis. The anatomical features proved to be valuable to support the recognition of monophyletic clades.