Vascular and General Anatomy of the Rootstocks of Three Stemless Viola Species

The primary vascular system of the rootstock of Viola rotundifolia,V. odorata and V. cucullata consists of an open system of threesympodia, corresponding to three orthostichies (parastichies)of leaves in the 1 /3 phyllotaxy. Between the major, collateralbundles there are vascular strands consisting of only primaryphloem. The vascular supply to axillary buds developing in thefirst season of growth is the same in flowering and vegetativebuds and there is a homology between the bracts on the pedunclesof axillary flowers and the prophylls of the axillary vegetativebranches. The overwintering portions of the rootstocks are somewhatwoody. The uneven development of secondary xylem correspondsto the locations of the sympodia. Secondary xylem closes a leafgap of a median trace only slowly, but any gap in the phloicsystem is closed quickly by secondary growth. Viola rotundifolia, V. odorata, V. cucullata, rootstock, vascular anatomy