TRICHOME MORPHOLOGY AS AN INDICATOR OF HIGH RUBBER BEARING GUAYULE (PARTHENIUM ARGENTATUM GRAY) PLANTS IN NATIVE POPULATIONS

Parthenium argentatum Gray (guayule) and P. incanum (mariola) grow in close associations in their native habitat of Mexico. Variation in rubber concentration and morphology of guayule has been known for a long time. Studies of over 75 native guayule plants indicated the presence of at least three prominent forms of guayule plants. Group I guayule plants have oblanceolate leaves and leaf margins are entire to two-toothed. T-shaped leaf trichomes are with centrally attached stalk and cap cell with two blunt ends. Plants in this group are high in rubber, containing on the average 17% rubber. Group II guayule plants have narrow elliptic leaves and leaf margins are entire to four-toothed. T-shaped trichomes have an acentrally attached stalk and a cap cell with short end blunt, long end pointed and straight. Rubber content in these plants averages 10%. Group III guayule plants have ovate leaves and leaf margins are four- to eight-toothed. T-trichomes have an acentrally attached stalk and a cap cell with short end blunt, long end pointed and wavy or curved. These plants on the average contain 6% rubber. Morphological as well as biochemical data indicate the presence of mariola genes in the last two groups of plants and this has resulted in an increase in trichome length and a decrease in the rubber content. Group II guayule plants are of more common occurrence than the others. Based on the data presented here, high rubber bearing guayule plants in native stands can be easily selected by analyzing trichome morphology.