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Raphides in palm embryos and their systematic distribution
1Fairchild Tropical Garden, 11935 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables (Miami), FL 33156-4242, USA. szona@fairchildgarden.org
Annals of Botany
|February 26, 2004
Summary
Raphides, needle-shaped crystals, are common in palm tissues but rare in embryos of some subfamilies. They are frequently found in palm embryos within the Arecoideae subfamily, specifically in the Areceae and Caryoteae tribes.
Area of Science:
- Plant anatomy
- Crystallography in botany
- Palm systematics
Background:
- Raphides are crystalline structures commonly found throughout palm (Arecaceae) vegetative and reproductive organs.
- Their presence in palm embryos has been historically noted but remains largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and distribution of raphides within palm embryos.
- To provide the most extensive survey of palm embryos for raphides to date.
Main Methods:
- Examined embryos from 148 palm taxa using light microscopy.
- Utilized squashed preparations viewed under non-polarized and crossed polarized light.
Main Results:
- Raphides were detected in embryos across the Coryphoideae, Ceroxyloideae, and Arecoideae subfamilies.
- Embryos lacking raphides were identified in the Calamoideae and Phytelephantoideae subfamilies.
Conclusions:
- Raphides in embryos are infrequent in Coryphoideae and Ceroxyloideae.
- Raphides are a prevalent characteristic of embryos within the Areceae and Caryoteae tribes of the Arecoideae subfamily.