THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF CHLORENCHYMA IN THE PANICLE BRANCHES OF FESTUCOID CEREALS

Abstract

Background. The study of the assimilative tissue structure in the elevated organs of festucoid cereals allows to estimate functioning of their generative shoots. The cellular organization of the mesophyll of their leaves is more often considered, especially in connection with the wide presence of cells of complex shape; the generative organs in this respect are less studied. Panicle twigs are part of the generative sphere of panicle grasses. Materials and methods. The structure of the chlorenchyma and the spatial forms of assimilative cells of the branches of panicles were studied on the example of 7 species of festucoid grasses that differ in ecological features and the structure of the mesophyll of leaves: Achnatherum splendens, Bromopsis inermis, Dactylis glomerata, Hierochloe odorata, Milium effusum, Poa angustifolia, Puccinellia tenuissima. Plants were selected in a condition of the budding and the beginning of flowering in different natural and geographical zones of Western Siberia. The anatomical structure of the middle part of the primary branches of the panicles was investigated on macerative preparations, as well as on transverse and longitudinal sections. Results and conclusions. In the panicle branches of festucoid grasses, the structure of chlorenchyma has a simpler structure compared to leaf blades and consists of cells that differ both in shape and size, which is largely due to their species and ecological features. Assimilation cells are characterized by a variety of three-dimensional configurations; among complex forms, flat cellular cells of varying degrees of intensity are most often found. At B. inermis a considerable part of the cells have more complex three-dimensional forms, combining lobular projections on cross sections and cellular configurations in the longitudinal direction. Such cells can be characterized as twice and thrice complex cellular-lobed. For shoots of the same species, in the panicle branches in comparison with the stem and leaves, a complication of the shape of assimilative cells is observed, which, probably, can contribute to increased gas exchange of the generative sphere of festucoid cereals.

Keywords

• festucoid cereals
• primary branches of the panicles
• anatomy
• chlorenchyma
• three-dimensional forms of assimilative cells