THE TERMINAL IDIOBLASTS IN MAGNOLIACEOUS LEAVES

The idioblasts terminating the foliar veinlets were studied in 152 species of the following magnoliaccous genera: Alcimandra, Aromadendron, Elmerrillia, Kmeria, Liriodendron, Magnolia, Manglietia, Michelia, Paramichelia, and Talauma. In all genera, except Liriodendron, some of the veinlets in mature leaves terminate in enlarged, nonliving cells called tracheoidal elements. Only one wall-facet (rarely 2) in such elements is differentially thickened; this wall lies adjacent to a conventional tracheary element. Ultimate cells of other veinlets in the Magnoliaceae differentiate as thick-walled sclereids, conventional tracheids, clavate tracheids, reticulate-walled dilated tracheids, or secretory cells. The terminal elements differentiate relatively late during leaf enlargement. In the Magnoliaceae, foliar structure is frequently characteristic at the generic level, and in some cases at the species level.