AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MORPHOGENETIC MECHANISMS WHICH CONTROL THE DEVELOPMENT OF ZONATION IN SEEDLING SHOOT APICAL MERISTEMS

The development of zonation in the shoot apical meristems of 28 species of cacti was examined. At germination the embryonic apex may have one of three types of organization: 1) tunica/corpus; 2) tunica/central mother cells/corpus; 3) tunica/central mother cells/peripheral zone/pith-rib meristem. Apices of the third type have complete zonation and undergo little or no further structural development. Both of the other types develop the missing zones. First, the apices become mitotically active, and peripheral zone characters develop in the outer corpus. Simultaneously, or slightly later, the central mother cells differentiate if they are not yet present. The final step is the formation of the pith-rib meristem. The sequence of appearance of the zones was constant throughout all species examined, but the time of appearance of only one zone could be correlated with any other morphogenetic process: the development of peripheral zone characteristics in the outer corpus occurs with or before the beginning of leaf production. The development of zonation appears to be independent of apical size, shape, or age, either real age or plastochron age. This has been interpreted to indicate that the metabolic mechanism controlling the development of zonation in shoot apical meristems is largely autonomous and independent of other aspects of morphogenesis occurring in the seedling. Also, the fact that leaf initiation and shoot axis production can both occur before the development of either the central mother cells or the pith-rib meristem indicates that neither of these zones is essential for these two apical morphogenetic activities.     

AN ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC EVALUATION OF CYTOHISTOLOGICAL ZONATION IN THE SHOOT APICAL MERISTEM OF PINUS BANKSIANA

Shoot apical meristems of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) were examined by light and electron microscopy. Cytohistological zonation was evident when meristems were fixed in Craf IV, embedded in paraffin, and stained with Chlorazol Black E. When meristems were fixed for electron microscopy the cytoplasm of the apical initials and central mother cells each contained numerous lipid bodies and their nuclei contained little, if any, heterochromatin. The cytoplasm of the peripheral zone was rich in ribosomes. The nuclei of the peripheral zone and rib meristem were heterochromatic. Thus, the lack of heterochromatin in the nuclei and the dissolution of lipids in the cytoplasm of the apical initials and central mother cells appeared to contribute most to the organization and appearance (cytohistological zonation) of the shoot apex when standard histological techniques are used.     

GROWTH CORRELATIONS WITHIN THE SEGMENT IN THE ARACEAE

The segment is defined as an internode and the associated petiole and lamina. In many climbing members of the family Araceae, there is great variation in the relative sizes and shapes of the three component parts of the segment. In Syngonium standleyanum Bunting, it was found that the form of the internode may be characterized by its length and diam, the petiole by its length, and the lamina by its wt and its shape (the ratio of central lobe wt to lamina wt). The sizes and shapes of the various components of the segment were found not to be allometrically related, with three exceptions: the internode diam is allometrically related to the segment wt, petiole wt, and lamina shape. In the four species of Araceae studied, the strong correlation between the diam of the internode and the wt of the entire segment results in a trade-off between making a large leaf or a long internode. For an internode of a given diam, the total dry wt of the segment is fixed, but may be proportioned in virtually any manner between the leaf and internode, from 95% of the wt in a large leaf, to 98% of the wt in a long internode. The complete form of the segment may be defined by just two variables. A suitable pair of variables is internode diam, and the ratio of internode diam to internode length.     

CONSTANCY OF RELATIVE VOLUMES OF ZONES IN SHOOT APICAL MERISTEMS IN CACTACEAE: IMPLICATIONS CONCERNING MERISTEM SIZE,SHAPE, AND METABOLISM

The volumes and dimensions of shoot apical meristem zones were determined for 21 species in 10 genera of the Cactaceae. If the volumes of the central-mother-cell zone (CMCZ), the peripheral zone (PZ), and the pith-rib meristem (PRM) are expressed as percentages of the total volume of the corpus, then they are remarkably constant (CMCZ = 11.1% of the volume of the corpus, PZ = 61.2% and PRM = 27.1%) regardless of the relative size of the apical meristems. The relative volume of the tunica decreases, however, as the whole apex increases. The zones have variable shapes, and whereas the PZ and PRM are always trapezoidal in longitudinal section, in apices with large volumes, these zones have a flatter, more flaring shape than they have in smaller apices. Thus large apices are flatter and less hemispherical than are small apices. The CMCZ, however, maintains a constant shape and is always relatively hemispherical regardless of its volume. A hypothesis that relates all of these shape and volume relationships as an integrated growth sequence is proposed.     

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.     

A SURVEY OF THE VEGETATIVE SHOOT APICES IN THE FAMILY MALVACEAE

The present study compares the structure of the vegetative shoot apex in 40 species of the Malvaceae. There is a wide range of size, shape, and zonation within the apices of the family. Although many of the apices are domed, some are flat-topped and do not extend above the axil of the youngest leaf primordium. Also, most of the species investigated are recorded as having a more or less marked cytohistological zonation superimposed on the tunica-corpus configuration. The tunica is single-layered in a majority of species, but stratification of the upper corpus is common. In an effort to give a more accurate concept of apical structure and activity, the apex is described as the metrameristem and its derivatives: the flanking meristem, and the pith rib meristem or pith mother cells. The metrameristem, consisting of the tunica initials and the co pus initials, is the focal point of the study of the zoned apices. Data are presented for the measurements of the metrameristem, measurements of the apical dome, type of flanking meristem, origin of the pith, and growth habit of the plant. There appears to be a correlation between growth habit and the distinctness with which the metrameristem is marked off from the surrounding tissue. Most of the herbaceous species have an indistinctly marked metrameristem, whereas the shrubby trees and trees have a distinctly marked metrameristem. Zonation in shrubs and suffrutescent plants may be of either type.     

CYTOKININ-ELICITED FORMATION OF THE PITH-RIB MERISTEM AND OTHER EFFECTS OF GROWTH REGULATORS ON THE MORPHOGENESIS OF ECHINOCEREUS (CACTACEAE) SEEDLING SHOOT APICAL MERISTEMS

Shoot apical meristems of Echinocereus engelmannii have only a tunica-corpus organization at germination, but the corpus rapidly develops central mother cells, a peripheral zone and a pith-rib meristem. The manner in which nutrition, darkness and various growth regulators at several concentrations and in several combinations affect the development of zonation was examined by growing derooted seedlings on agar which contained the nutrients or growth regulators. Benzylaminopurine was able to elicit the formation of the pith-rib meristem in an otherwise non-zonate corpus. Also, the rate of leaf initiation was greatly increased. Gibberellic acid severely inhibited the formation of corpus zones but had little effect on leaf initiation. Indoleacetic acid had no effects other than mild inhibition of zonation and a slight retardation of leaf initiation. Abscisic acid was strongly inhibitory. Sucrose only slightly increased the rate of leaf formation and did not affect apex size or zonation. To more closely examine the cytokinin-induced effects on the apical meristem, several growth regulators were applied in combination with the most effective concentration of cytokinin. Certain combinations were able to interfere with several of the cytokinin-induced responses, while other cytokinin-induced responses occurred even in the presence of high concentrations of these other growth regulators. Leaf initiation and meristem morphogenesis appeared to be remarkably stable and insensitive to the presence of most hormones except cytokinin and gibberellin.     

THE SHOOT APICAL ONTOGENY OF THE PICEA ABIES SEEDLING. I. ANATOMY,APICAL DOME DIAMETER,AND PLASTOCHRON DURATION

Developing embryos in immature Picea abies seeds already have well-delineated shoot apical meristems with clearly evident cytohistological zonation. During early seedling development the zonation characteristic of gymnospermous apical meristems is attained. Seedling development is also accompanied by an approximately threefold increase in apical dome diameter. The latter approaches a steady state about 140 days after germination. Seedlings display a spiral phyllotaxis consisting of a contact parastichy system, usually of the primary Fibonacci series. As the seedlings age and apical domes enlarge, higher Fibonacci number-pairs characterize their phyllotaxis. Mathematical analysis of the relation between cumulative leaf number and age revealed that the length of the plastochronic time interval declines from about 18.5 hr to 5.7 hr as seedling age increases from 20 to 140 days.     

CYTOKININ- AND GIBBERELLIC ACID-INDUCED EFFECTS ON THE STRUCTURE AND METABOLISM OF SHOOT APICAL MERISTEMS IN OPUNTIA POLYACANTHA (CACTACEAE)

The dormant axillary buds of Opuntia polyacantha can be activated by either cytokinins or gibberellic acid. Under the influence of benzylaminopurine (BAP), the axillary bud meristem increases greatly in size and becomes mitotically active. The primordia produced by the meristem develop as normal photosynthetic leaves. Gibberellic acid (GA) also causes the meristem to become mitotically active, but the meristem does not increase in size. The primordia produced under the influence of GA develop as normal cactus spines. Leaf-producing meristems and spine-producing meristems have the same zonation, despite the differences in size. The meristems are composed of a uniseriate tunica, a central mother cell zone, peripheral zone, and a pith rib meristem. The mitotic activity of each of the zones in the leaf-producing meristem differs significantly from the mitotic activity of the corresponding zones in the spine-producing meristem.     

PROROCENTRUM BELIZEANUM,PROROCENTRUM ELEGANS,AND PROROCENTRUM CARIBBAEUM,THREE NEW BENTHIC SPECIES (DINOPHYCEAE) FROM A MANGROVE ISLAND,TWIN CAYS,BELIZE1

Three new benthic dinoflagellate species, Prorocentrum belizeanum, Prorocentrum elegans, and Prorocentrum caribbaeum, from mangrove floating detritus are described from scanning electron micrographs. Species were identified based on shape, size, surface micromorphology, ornamentation of thecal plates, and architecture of the periflagellar area and intercalary band. Cells of P. belizeanum are round to slightly oval with a cell size of 55–60 μm long and 50–55 μm wide. Areolae are round and numerous (853–1024 per valve) and range from 0.66 to 0.83 μm in size. The periflagellar area of P. belizeanum is a broad V-shaped depression; it accommodates a flagellar and an auxiliary pore and a flared, curved apical collar. The intercalary band of P. belizeanum is horizontally striated. Prorocentrum elegans is a small species 15–20 μm long and 10–14 μm wide, with an ovate cell shape. The thecal surface is smooth. Two sizes of valve pores were recognized: large, round pores (20–22 per valve) arranged in a distinct pattern and smaller pores situated in an array along the intercalary band. The periflagellar area is V-shaped; it accommodates an uneven sized flagellar pore, an auxiliary pore, and an angled protuberant flagellar plate. The intercalary band is transversely striated. It is a bloom-forming species. Prorocentrum caribbaeum cells are heart-shaped with a rounded anterior end and a pointed posterior end. Cells range from 40 to 45 μm long and 30 to 35 μm wide. Thecal surface has two different-sized pores: large, round pores (145–203 per valve) arranged perpendicularly from the posterior margins, and small, round pores unevenly distributed on the thecal surface. The periflagellar area is ornate. It is V-shaped with a curved apical collar located next to the auxiliary pore; a smaller protuberant apical plate is adjacent to the flagellar pore. The intercalary band is transversely striated and sinuous. Cells are active swimmers.     

哀牢山北段西坡蝽类昆虫垂直分布的研究

哀牢山是横断山的余脉,由低到高分布着谷地、丘陵、山地等,逐级向上过渡,形成了多层性地形,造成气候、土壤和植被等的垂直差异。这势必也引起昆虫在垂直方向上的分异。 结合哀牢山森林生态系统生态站和云南亚热带山地生态垂直分异及其合理开发利用的研究工作,1982～1985年在哀牢山北段西坡的景东川洱坝至徐家坝山顶(北纬24°32′,     

BATRACHOSPERMUM HETEROCORTICUM SP. NOV. AND POLYSIPHONIA SUBTILISSIMA (RHODOPHYTA) FROM FLORIDA SPRING-FED STREAMS1

Polysiphonia subtilissima Mont. Is reported for the first time from a freshwater environment. The presence of four pericentral cells, subdichotomous branching, apical trichoblasts and rhizoids arising from pericentral cells combined with a lack of cortication and reproductive cells is consistent with marine populations of this species. The range of filament length is 1.4–4.7 cm. Branch diameters are 38–76 μm and pericentral cell lengths are 58–125 μm. Batrachospermum heterocorticum sp. nov. is distinguished primarily by a developmental change in cortical filaments from typical cylindrical cells (5.0–7.9 μm diam in initial stages to enlarged, elliptical cells (12.9–24.1 μm diam) in mature axes. Another unique feature of this species is carpogonia with cylindrical, pedicellate trichogynes on stringht carpogonial branches in mid to outer portions of lateral whorls. Other characteristics of B. heterocorticum include the following: olive-green color, 2–6 cm length, dichotomous to trichotomous fascicles in 4–7 tiers, 385–647 μm whorl diameters, 109–198 μm carpospore diameters and relatively small “chantransia” filaments.     

THE IMPORTANCE OF DIATOM CELL SIZE IN COMMUNITY ANALYSIS1

The large variation in size and shape in diatoms is shown by morphometric measurements of 515 benthic and pelagic diatom species from the Baltic Sea area. The largest mean cell dimension (mostly the apical axis) varied between 4.2 and 653 μm, cell surface area between 55 and 344,000 μm², and cell volume between 21 and 14.2 × 10⁶μm³. The shape‐related index, length to width ratio, was between 1.0 and 63.3 and the shape‐ and size‐related index, surface area to volume ratio, was between 0.02 and 3.13. Diatom community analysis by multivariate statistics is usually based on counts of a fixed number of diatom valves with species scores irrespective of cell size. This procedure underestimates the large species for two reasons. First, the importance of a species with higher cell volume is usually larger in a community. Second, larger species usually have lower abundances and their occurrence in the diatom counts is stochastic. This article shows that co‐occurring small and large diatom species can respond very differently to environmental constraints. Large epiphytic diatoms responded most to macroalgal host species and small epiphytic diatoms most to environmental conditions at the sampling site. Large epilithic diatoms responded strongly to salinity, whereas small epilithic diatoms did so less clearly. The conclusion is that different scale‐dependent responses are possible within one data set. The results from the test data also show that important ecological information from diatom data can be missed when the large species are neglected or underestimated.     

IMPERMANENT INITIALS OF THE SHOOT APEX AND DIPLONTIC SELECTION IN A JUNIPER CHIMERA

Shoot meristems of Juniperus davurica cv. Expansa Variegata possess an apical zonation pattern similar to that found in some angiosperms. Anticlinal divisions predominate in the outer layer, the tunica. The underlying core of cells, the corpus, has cell divisions oriented in all directions. Typically, this variety exists as a periclinal chimera, the outer layer genotypically albino and the inner core composed of normal, chlorophyll-producing cells. In this condition a shoot appears green. Occasionally a tunica cell divides periclinally and displaces an initial in the apical region of the corpus. This event subsequently is expressed during ontogeny as an albino sector on the stem and leaves. Frequent variation in the width of an albino sector throughout ontogeny suggests a temporary nature of cells in the position of apical initials. A correlation was documented between the position of axillary bud release and a subsequent increase or decrease in the width of an albino sector. A model based upon stochastic processes and diplontic selection is proposed to account for the dynamic nature of chimeric patterns observed in this plant.     

Allometry and development in herbaceous plants: functional responses of meristem allocation to light and nutrient availability

We examined the relationship between meristem allocation and plant size for four annual plant species: Arabidopsis thaliana, Arenaria serphyllifolia, Brassica rapa, and Chaenorrhinum minus. Gradients of light and nutrient availability were used to obtain a range of plant sizes for each of these species. Relative allocation to reproductive, inactive, and growth meristems were used to measure reproductive effort, apical dominance, and branching intensity, respectively. We measured allocation to each of these three meristem fates at weekly intervals throughout development and at final developmental stage. At all developmental stages reproductive effort and branching intensity tended to increase with increasing plant size (i.e., due to increasing resource availability) and apical dominance tended to decrease with increasing plant size. We interpret these responses as a strategy for plants to maximize fitness across a range of environments. In addition, significant differences in meristem response among species may be important in defining the range of habitats in which a species can exist and may help explain patterns of species competition and coexistence in habitats with variable resource availability.     

A MORPHOMETRY STUDY OF THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF ECHINOCEREUS ENGELMANNII (CACTACEAE). II. THE MATURE,ZONATE SHOOT APICAL MERISTEM

The shoot apical meristems of adult Echinocereus engelmannii plants are zonate and have a tunica, central mother cells, a peripheral zone, and a pith-rib meristem. An ultrastructural, stereological study showed that each zone has its own distinct ultrastructure, but that the differences between the zones are quite small, both on a protoplasmic basis and on a cytoplasmic basis. Furthermore, the ultrastructure present in the adult apices differed only slightly from that which had been found in seedling apices, demonstrating a long-term stability of structure. The standard deviations found in the sample were small, indicating little variability from one plant to the next and suggesting that there are little or no cyclic changes during the plastochron or a 24-hr photoperiod. The ultrastructures found in the shoot apical meristems differed significantly and markedly from mature tissues of the same plants.     

中国核盘菌科分类研究概况

本文简要回顾我国核盘菌科真菌的研究历史,尤其是最近十年的进展,更正了过去此科分类和命名中的一些问题,列出我国目前已知核盘菌科12属42种,并提供属的检索表;其中美洲杯盘菌(Ciboria americana Durand)为我国新记录。同时,指出对此科进一步深入探讨的方向。描述了新种贵州杯盘菌(Ciboria guizhouensis w.-y.Zhuang),模式保存在中国科学院微生物研究所真菌标本室。     

INFLORESCENCE AND FLOWER DEVELOPMENT IN THE PIPERACEAE. II. INFLORESCENCE DEVELOPMENT OF PIPER

The inflorescence development of three species of Piper (P. aduncum, P. amalago, and P. marginatum), representing Sections Artanthe and Ottonia, was studied. The spicate inflorescences contain hundreds or even thousands of flowers, depending on the species. Each flower has a tricarpellate syncarpous gynoecium and 4 to 6 free stamens, in the species studied. No sepals or petals are present. In P. marginatum the apical meristem of the inflorescence is zonate in configuration and is unusually elongate: up to 1,170 μm high and up to 480 μm wide during the most active period of organogenesis. Toward the time of apical cessation both height and diameter gradually diminish, leaving an apical residuum which may become an attenuate spine or may be cut off by an abscission zone just below the meristem. The active apex produces bract primordia; when each is 40–55 μm high, a floral apex is initiated in its axil. Both bract and floral apex are initiated by periclinal divisions in cells of the subsurface layer. The bracts undergo differentiation rather early, while the floral apices are still developing. The last-produced bracts near the tip of the inflorescence tend to be sterile.