STELAR MORPHOLOGY AND THE PRIMARY VASCULAR SYSTEM OF SEED PLANTS
STELAR MORPHOLOGY AND THE PRIMARY VASCULAR SYSTEM OF SEED PLANTS
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DOI:
10.1007/bf02860874
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发表时间:
1982-01-01
期刊:
影响因子:
4
通讯作者:
ROTHWELL, GW
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
BECK, CB;SCHMID, R;ROTHWELL, GW
This paper deals primarily with the morphology, anatomy, and evolution of the eustele in seed plants. Introductory sections treat stelar terminology, problems of representation and interpretation of stelar diagrams, and the history of studies on the stele. Also included is a classification of stelar types. A significant part of the paper consists of descriptions and illustrations of the primary vascular systems of the stems of all major seed plant taxa (and their progymnosperm precursors) for which data were available. In a critical analysis of recent studies, the stele of monocotyledons is interpreted as a eustele that has become modified in relation to the distinctive morphology and modes of development of this group. Our viewpoint contrasts with that of Zimmermann and Tomlinson who consider the monocotyledon stele to be fundamentally different from that of dicotyledons. In a section on nodal anatomy the emphasis by some systematists on characters of nodal structure is decried because, as is demonstrated, taxa with similar nodal anatomy may differ significantly in their internodal structure. An original statistical study, based on characters of the primary vascular systems of 102 species of dicotyledons and data from other sources, provides the basis for a model of the primitive eustele in seed plants, for a discussion of the adaptive value of certain characteristics of the eustele, and for recognizing probable trends of specialization in the eustele. The primitive eustele is characterized as an open primary vascular system with helical trace departure, and consisting of five sympodia. It is suggested that during the course of evolution of the eustele there has been an increase in the number of vascular bundles in the system. This, apparently, has been accomplished in the gymnosperms (as reflected in the conifers) by an increase in the number of axial bundles, but in the angiosperms by an increase in the number of traces per leaf and an increase in the number of internodes traversed by leaf traces prior to their entry into leaves. There seems to have been a concomitant establishment of connection between the sympodia in the vascular system. Both the increase in number of vascular bundles and their interconnection seem to be adaptive because they probably enhance the survivability of individuals whose vascular systems are damaged by herbivores or other biotic or physical agents. Because diversity among stelar types is relatively limited, stelar morphology seems to have systematic significance primarily at or above the ordinal level. The paper closes with a set of recommendations designed to encourage the future production of comparable, useful data on the stele.