Characterization of Thirty Cultivars of Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae) by Their Foliar Anatomical Traits

Leaves of thirty cultivars of Mangifera indica L. were investigated to compare their anatomical variations and identify the characteristic features which are potential markers for the identification of the cultivars. Variations were noted in the thickness of cuticle, length of epidermal cells in the abaxial and adaxial surfaces, length of palisade and spongy tissue. The length of epidermal cell varied from 10 µm in ‘Goto’ to 25 µm in ‘Desi’ cultivars on adaxial side, while on the abaxial side it varied from 15.5 µm in ‘Alphonso’ to 6.9 µm in ‘Sopari’. The palisade tissue length was maximum in ‘Jahangir’ (111.36 µm), while it was lowest in ‘Fazli’ (24.13 µm). Spongy tissue length was the highest in ‘Jamadar’ (199.92 µm) and lowest in ‘Fazli’ (90.55 µm). Two layers of palisade tissue were seen in ‘Sindoria’, ‘Jhumakhiya 2’, ‘Aambadi’, ‘Neelam’, ‘Rajapuri’, ‘Fazli’, ‘Jahangir’, ‘Kaju’, and ‘Aamir pasand’, while three layers were seen in ‘Alphonso’, ‘Jamadar’, ‘Ladvo’, ‘Sopari’ and ‘Dudhpendo’. Such parameters can be used for distinctly differentiating varieties among them and thus have an exact identification when morphological features are indistinguishable.

Morphological and Physiological Responses of Morus alba Seedlings under Different Light Qualities

Light quality can influence the photosynthetic characteristics, morphology and physiological processes of plants. To investigate the effects of different light qualities (white light, W; red light, R; blue light, B; mixture of red and blue light, RB) of light emitting diodes (LEDs) and white cold fluorescent lamp on the growth and morphology of fruiting mulberry plants (Morus alba L. cv. ‘Longsang No.1’), fruiting mulberry plants were grown under different light qualities: W, R, B and RB of the same photosynthetic photo flux density (PPFD; 100 μmol m-2 s-1) for 20 d. Our results showed that stem length and leaf area of plants grown under R were the highest. However, stem length and leaf area of plants grown under B were lowest. Dry weights (DW), leaf mass per area (LMA), chlorophyll a/b ratio, soluble protein content, sucrose and starch content, and total leaf nitrogen (N) content of plants grown under R were the lowest. Net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), and actual photochemical efficiency of PSII (ΦPSII) of plants grown under RB were similar to plants grown under W. Net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and ΦPSII of plants grown under R and B were lower than plants grown under W and RB. Antioxidant enzymes activity of plants grown under R, RB and B were higher than plants grown under W. The number of leaf stomata, leaf thickness, palisade tissue length and spongy tissue length were the lowest in plants grown under R. The number of leaf stomata, leaf thickness and palisade tissue length of plants grown under RB and B were higher than plants grown under R. The results of this study indicate that a certain ratio of mixed red and blue LEDs light can reduce adverse effects of monochromatic red and blue LEDs light on fruiting mulberry growth and development.

Symphyotrichum ciliatum an Invasive Species in the Romanian Flora – Contributions to the Knowledge of the Vegetative Organs Structure

Symphyotrichum ciliatum (Ledeb.) G.L. Nesom is an adventive plant first reported in Romania in 1967, which has spread rapidly over the last few decades in Moldova, Muntenia and, more recently, in Transylvania. Although the species has been known for a while in Europe and Romania, there is no information about the anatomy of the vegetative organs of this invasive taxon. This paper presents a series of structural aspects of the vegetative body, of Symphyotrichum ciliatum collected from a sandy and salty substrate (Sacalin Island - Danube Delta). These demonstrate the ability of this plant to adapt to the environment and its capacity to achieve a wide spread. As such, although this plant is an annual species, the root and stem achieve secondary growth in their width, which offers robustness to the corm; the palisade tissue has an ecvifacial disposition which enhances efficiency in capturing light, especially on sandy soil that reflects light; there are aeriferous and aquiferous formations that ensure efficiency in adapting to a wet and relatively salty environment. These results are documented by original photographs of optical microscopy and a distribution map of the taxon in Romania as at 2011.

Strawberry resistance to the aphid Chaetosiphon fragaefolii Cockerell (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Cross-sections of leaf blades and petioles of different strawberry genotypes exhibiting different levels of resistance to Chaetosiphon fragaefolii were studied using the paraffin method, and staining with safranin, crystal violet and light green. Besides thicker cell walls of the cortex collenchyma in the more resistant genotypes, and a proportionally wider collenchyma than parenchyma in the cortex, their midribs are also encircled by a ring of more intensely stained lignified cells forming a physical ring. This stain reaction of cells to safranin and crystal violet occurs also in lateral vascular bundles, as well as in leaf palisade tissue. The tissue cross-sections of the sensitive genotypes revealed a predominance of green on the cellulose cell walls and protoplasts due to the reaction to light green SF, while stain reactions to safranin and crystal violet were not evidenced.

Morphological and anatomical characteristics of the root and herb from Eryngium campestre L. (Apiaceae)

Research on the morphological and anatomical constitution of the root and herb from the plant Eryngium campestre L., Apiaceae has been done in this work. The follow elements important for the identification of drug have been defined: in leafs thick cuticle, isolateral mesophill with palisade tissue on the upper and lower region of the leaf and much reduced spongy parenchyma; characteristic arrangement of the mechanical collenchyma tissue, especially in leafs, characteristic wrinkles in the leaf cuticle. In the herb's powder the follow elements could be found: trachea fragments with specific ring wrinkles, parts from the epiderma with stomata, druses and knee-shaped mechanical hairs. In the root and the stem characteristic are secretory tubes and the presence of calcium oxalate druses in great quantity. Additionally in the root typical arrangement of tissues characteristic for the secondary root construction could be noticed, with: xylem rays in wood and in a bark, laticifers, periderma on the periphery, characteristic arrangement of the vascular bundles and great number of druses, esspecialy in the wood. In the root powder: trachea fragments with spiral thickenings, fragments of periderm and cork, parts from parenchyma of the bark with druses could been put aside.

LEAF ANATOMY OF SOME GRAPE CULTIVARS IN RESPONSE TO SALINITY

The present investigation was carried out to determine the effect of salinity on three grapevine leaf anatomy. The experiment was conducted in box culture with two mixed salts (NaCl and CaCl2) at five concentrations (0, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4500 ppm) and three cultivars, namely, `Thompson seedless', `Flame seedless' and `Robby seedless'. Increasing salinity significantly reduced the total axes of the epidermis, assimilating, vascular and ground tissues of the leaf. It also changed the ratio of the upper to the lower epiderm tissue. The differences among the three cultivars were not significant. The area of the palisade tissue was larger than the area of the spongy tissue in case of the control or 1000 ppm salinity treatments, while higher concentration of salinity resulted reverse in a situation. The xylem area was larger than that of the phloem at all concentrations under study. The area of parenchyma tissue was consistantly larger than that of mechanical tissue.

Xeromorphic Leaves of Hakea suaveolens R. Br. IV. Ontogeny, Structure and Function of the Sclereids

Osteosclereids in the leaves of Hakea suaveolens are investigated from a developmental, structural and functional point of view. The sclereid initial cell is located outermost in a boundary parenchyma comprising 1-3 cell layers next to the palisade tissue. Boundary parenchyma cells, including sclereid initial cells, are the first cells to accumulate starch. Acid phosphatase was localised during development of sclereids and palisade cells. The outer ramifications of the sclereid form a pseudohypodermis, and the inner ramifications penetrate 1-3 cell layers inwards, making contact with specialised cells (tracheoids) of the vein endings and with fibres. The sclereids do not become lignified in the outer ramifications, and they remain alive as long as the leaf itself. Water pathways were localised by addition of the fluorochrome berberine sulfate to the transpiration stream. It is concluded that, besides giving mechanical strength, the sclereids are also important as vein extensions and that, like bundle sheath extensions, they conduct water to the epidermis and directly to both palisade layers. The percentage of the cross-sectional leaf area occupied by lignified water-conducting cells, including sclereids, is higher than in many other cylindrical, xeromorphic leaves. There are about 200 sclereids per square millimetre of palisade tissue in sun leaves, but the number falls in shade leaves and after fertilisation with nitrate and phosphate.