STUDIES OF SPHENOPHYLLUM SHOOTS: SPECIES DELIMITATION WITHIN THE TAXON SPHENOPHYLLUM

Structurally preserved ultimate vegetative shoots and attached foliage of Sphenophyllum multirame and two additional taxa from Upper and Middle Pennsylvanian coal balls are described. Shoot axes of all taxa are delimited by small cube-shaped epidermal cells and contain three isolated strands of protoxylem tracheids separated by undifferentiated procambial cells. Metaxylem maturation is delayed for some distance below the apical meristem. Branches originate from a single protoxylem strand and are contiguous with the subjacent leaf trace for a short distance. Sphenophyllum multirame is considered a valid taxon. It is suggested that shoot and foliar anatomical characteristics may form valid criteria for species delimitation within the genus, and S. reedae is delimited by such characteristics. An additional form is tentatively suggested as a possible new species. Anatomical similarities between 5. reedae and Peltastrobus reedae suggest that these taxa represent vegetative and reproductive structures of the same plant.     

关于晚古生代楔叶属(楔叶纲)的名实问题

简要回顾Sphenophyllum Koenig和Sphenophyllum Brongniart的研究历史,详细讨论该属命名中存在的问题。这两者是基于相同的模式（即Sphenophyllites emarginatus Brongniart,1822）建立的。根据2006年《国际植物命名法规》（维也纳法规）规则32．1,14．4和附录Ⅲ,Sphenophyllum Koenig因没有明确的发表日期（出版年）,故为非法名称,应予废弃;而Sphenophyllum Brongniart因广为使用已被提议为保留名,其命名异名Sphenophyllites Brongniart,1822应被废弃。因此,正确名称应是Sphenophyllum Brongniart,1828。     

THE ONTOGENY OF CARBONIFEROUS ARTICULATES: THE APEX OF SPHENOPHYLLUM

Twig apices of Sphenophyllum lescurianum, S. constrictum, and two new Sphenophyllum taxa are described in transverse and longitudinal section from middle and upper Pennsylvanian age specimens. In all of the species the single apical cell has the shape of a tetrahedron, with a triangular upper surface and three internal cutting faces. Segment cells are produced from each of the cutting surfaces in a dextrorse or sinistrorse direction, depending upon the species. The central portion of each segment cell contributes to the initiation of the procambium, while the remaining outer portion undergoes a vertical and subsequent horizontal division to form segment cells. Segment cells are aligned in vertical tiers beneath the respective apical cell cutting faces, with the individual leaves positioned directly beneath a tier of segment cells. Leaf primordia are first observed as a series of surface undulations below the apex, with an intercalary meristem located directly beneath each primordium. The vegetative apical organization of Sphenophyllum is demonstrated to be very similar to the type of organization found at the stem tips of Catamites and Equisetum.     

红豆杉科次生韧皮部的比较解剖

在光学显微镜及扫描电镜下,比较观察了红豆杉科Ｔａｘａｃｅａｅ５属即红豆杉属Ｔａｘｕｓ,白豆杉属Ｐｓｅｕｄｏｔａｘｕｓ、穗花杉属Ａｍｅｎｔｏｔａｘｕｓ,榧树属Ｔｏｒｒｅｙａ和澳洲红豆杉属８种植物茎次生韧皮部的结构。其主要结果为：红豆杉科植物茎次生皮部由轴向系统和径向系统两部分构成。轴向系统由筛胞,韧皮薄壁组织细胞,蛋白细胞及韧皮纤维组成;径向系统由韧皮射线构成,但是,在横切面上,各个组成分子的层次有     

ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE SECONDARY PHLOEM OF TILIA AMERICANA

Summer and winter (July and January) samples of secondary phloem of Tilia americana were studied with the electron microscope. Parenchyma cells contain: nuclei, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, plastids, mitochondria and occasional dictyosomes. Well-defined tonoplasts separate vacuoles from cytoplasmic ground substance. Vacuoles often contain tannins. Lipid droplets are common in cytoplasm. Endoplasmic reticulum–connected plasmodesmata are aggregated in primary pit fields. Companion cells differ from parenchyma cells in having numerous sieve-element connections, possibly slime, and in lacking plastids. Mature, enucleate sieve elements possess 1–4 extruded nucleoli. Numerous vesicles occupy a mostly parietal position in association with plasmalemma. The mature sieve element lacks endoplasmic reticulum, organelles (except for few mitochondria) and tonoplast. In OsO_4– and glutaraldehyde-fixed elements, slime has a fine, fibrillar appearance. Normally, these fine fibrils are organized into coarser ones which form strands that traverse the cell and the plasmalemma-lined pores of sieve plates and lateral sieve areas.     

芹菜韧皮部中的肌动蛋白

芹菜韧皮部初步纯化的肌动蛋白,用SDS聚丙烯酸胺凝胶电泳进行分离,得到与兔骨胳肌的肌动蛋白相似的迁移率,其分子量为43 000道尔顿,与免肌肌动蛋白的分子量相一致。韧皮部的G-肌动蛋白聚合成F-肌动蛋白,在电子显微镜下观察到直径5～7nm肌动蛋白的微丝。用兔肌的重酶解肌球蛋白处理并负染后,在电镜下观察到箭头状装饰。韧皮部的F-肌动蛋白能激活兔肌重酶解肌球蛋白ATP酶的活性,酶活性可被激活8倍以上。证明芹菜韧皮部中确实存在肌动蛋白。     

10种卫矛科植物次生韧皮部的比较解剖

研究了卫矛科（Ｃｅｌａｓｔｒａｃｅａｅ）５ 属１０ 种植物次生韧皮部的结构。根据筛管分子、韧皮射线及厚壁组织的结构特征,将这１０ 种植物次生韧皮部分为３ 种类型。类型Ⅰ：筛管分子端壁倾斜,筛域数多,都为复筛板,韧皮射线大多为单列。卫矛属（Ｅｕｏｎｙｍ ｕｓ）的５ 种植物属于这一类型;类型Ⅱ：包括南蛇藤属（Ｃｅｌａｓｔｒｕｓ）和雷公藤属（Ｔｒｉｐｔｅｒｙｇｉｕｍ ）,其特征是筛管分子短,端壁倾斜度小,筛域数少,纤维不木质化,射线多列;类型Ⅲ：筛管分子多为单筛板,端壁接近水平,在不具功能韧皮部出现成簇的石细胞和纤维,射线单列或两列。属于此类型的有十齿花属（Ｄｉｐｅｎｔｏｄｏｎ）和核子木属（Ｐｅｒｒｏｔｔｅｔｉａ）     

韧皮部运输和防御作用的分子机理

韧皮部是维管系统的重要组成部分,在物质运输、信息传递、机械支持以及防御作用中发挥重要作用。近年来,在建立了一系列研究方法的基础上,对韧皮部运输和防御功能特别是碳水化合物装载和卸出机理进行了大量研究,克隆出一些特异基因,初步阐明了韧皮部装载的分子机制,取得可喜进展。本文综述了一些相关研究结果,并提出几个有待解决的问题     

SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SECONDARY PHLOEM IN PINUS

Functional sieve cells are present at all times in the secondary phloem of Pinus banksiana Lamb., P. resinosa Ait., and P. strobus L. With regard to a given year's growth increment, all but the last-formed sieve cells (2-4 layers) cease functioning the same season they are derived from the cambium. The former overwinter and remain functional until new sieve cells differentiate in spring. Toward the end of March undifferentiated cells in the outer margin of the cambial zone begin to differentiate into sieve cells. About a week later, cambial activity (cell division) commences. All early phloem is produced by early May before new xylem differentiation begins. Most sieve cells are differentiated by late August, but a few not until late September. Cessation of function begins in late May or June with formation of definitive callose on sieve areas of the sieve cells which overwintered and continues slowly to sieve cells of the current season's early phloem. By mid-December all but the last-formed sieve cells (i.e., those which will overwinter in a functional state) are devoid of contents. Phloem differentiation precedes xylem differentiation by approximately 1 1/2 months. Xylem and phloem production cease more or less simultaneously in August, xylem and phloem differentiation in September.     

INTERNAL PHLOEM IN THE PULVINUS OF SOYBEAN PLANTS

Glycine max, like many species of Fabaceae, has pulvini at the base of the petiole. In this structure, the vascular cylinder is constricted and consists of a ring of phloem surrounding a ring of xylem. A combination of light and transmission electron microscopy and histochemistry showed that, in addition, there are groups of internal phloem strands in the pulvinar pith. This was confirmed by direct observation of sieve plates and crystalline P-protein inclusions typical of leguminous sievetube members. Serial sections through the stem–pulvinus–petiole revealed that a spatial reorientation of the vascular tissue in the pulvinus resulted in the formation of internal phloem strands, which are continuous with the external phloem bundles above and below the pulvinus. Using 6(5)carboxyfluorescein (6CF) as a fluorescent tracer of phloem transport, we have shown that the internal phloem was active. In most of the experiments, when 6CF was applied to a source leaf, the internal phloem was not stained when the stem was girdled between the source leaf and the roots. Thus, we suggest that the internal phloem of the pulvinus of soybean is specialized for transport toward the root.     

THE PHLOEM OF ETAPTERIS LECLERCQII AND BOTRYOPTERIS TRIDENTATA

The phloem of Etapteris leclercqii and Botryopteris tridentata petioles is described from Lower Pennsylvanian coal balls. Petioles of B. tridentata are characterized in transverse section by an omega-shaped xylem trace, a phloem zone which extends from 2-10 cells in width, and 2-parted cortex. Etapteris leclercqii petioles exhibit a 4–9 cell-wide phloem zone surrounding the central clepsydroid xylem mass, and a 3-parted cortex. In both taxa a 1–2 cell layer parenchyma sheath separates the xylem from the extra-xylary tissues. The phloem of both species consists of sieve elements that average about 20 μm in diam by 200 μm in length in Botryopteris, and 100 μm in length in Etapteris, with horizontal-slightly oblique end walls. In transmitted light, the radial walls of the sieve elements form an irregular reticulate pattern enclosing elliptical lighter areas. With the scanning electron microscope, these areas appear as horizontal-slightly oblique furrows on the cell wall, with many small indentations lining the furrows. These indentations, because of their regular occurrence and size (from a few fractions of a micron up to 1.0 μm in diam), are interpreted as sieve pores, and the elliptical areas that enclose them as sieve areas. The phloem of E. leclercqii and B. tridentata is compared with that described for other fossil genera and with that of extant ferns.     

INFLUENCE OF PHLOEM BLOCKAGE ON CAMBIAL GROWTH OF SUGAR MAPLE

Circular patches of bark were surgically isolated on the sides of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) trees at breast height at various times during the dormant and growing seasons. Subsequently, samples of wood and attached bark were taken from isolated and control sites to determine the effects of isolation of the bark on cambial activity and xylem and phloem development. In control sites cambial activity and xylem and phloem development occurred normally. Isolation of bark during the dormant season (in November, February, or March) prevented initiation of cambial activity and xylem and phloem development in isolated areas of half of the trees. Varying degrees of cambial activity (periclinal divisions) occurred in the remaining isolated areas, but normal cambial activity and xylem and phloem development were prevented. Isolation of bark after initiation of cambial activity and phloem differentiation, but prior to initiation of xylem differentiation, resulted in the formation of very narrow xylem and phloem increments with atypically short vessel members and sieve-tube members, respectively. The xylem increments consisted primarily of parenchyma cells. Isolation of bark after initiation of xylem differentiation resulted in curtailment of secondary wall formation in the last-formed part of many increments. The last-formed vessel members of all these xylem increments were atypically short. Similarly, the last formed sieve-tube members of corresponding phloem increments were atypically short. The atypically short cells in the xylem and phloem of isolated areas reflected the effect of isolation on the cambial region, viz., the subdivision of all fusiform cells into strands of cells. Ultimately, the strands of short fusiform cells lapsed into maturity, leaving only strands of parenchymatous elements between xylem and phloem.