Morphological studies of Kingdonia uniflora F. Balfour et W. W. Smith II. The anatomy of rhizome

Hu Zheng-Hai, Lee Kong-Ming

Received:1900-01-01 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:1979-05-18 Published:1979-05-18
Contact: Hu Zheng-Hai

Abstract:

In the present paper, as a part of our morphological studies on Kingdonia, the

preliminary results of observations on the structure of its rhizome are included.

The fundamental pattern of the primary structures of the rhizome of Kingdonia

is simillar to that of most perennial herbaceous plants. However, a cylindrical stele

formed from the connecting vascular tissues is generally present. In the primary

tissue, or even in the secondary vascular tissue, no consipicious vascular ray is obser-

ved. Most vessel elements of the rhizome are with scalariform thickening. A single

large porferation is usually present on the horizontal plate, while on the oblique

plate several small pores are observable, besides a large one. This represents the

transformation from multiple porferation to singe porferation of the trachae being

indicated in the rhizome of Kingdonia. According to Bailey's veiwpoint,the evolu-

tion of the vessel element, is irreversible, so this phenomena occuring in the rhizome

of Kingdonia would indicate a primitive character.

The gap of the leaf members, including the foliago leaves, scale leaves and cata-

phylls is unilacunar. Four traces are indicated in the foliage leaves and a double

trace apears in both the scale leaves and catophylls. In Ranunculaceae, trilacunar

gaps and multilacunar gaps are generally occuring in most plants. According to the

viewpoint of previous author and based on the primitive, features of its leaf, flower

and vessel' elements, it is probably that the unilacunar gap of Kingdonia is a primi-

tive character as Foster A. S. (1960, 1961) had pointed out.

Hu Zheng-Hai, Lee Kong-Ming. Morphological studies of Kingdonia uniflora F. Balfour et W. W. Smith II. The anatomy of rhizome[J]. .

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