An analysis of vascular system in the compound tendrilled afila leaf in Pisum sativum

Recent work on the venation patterning and morphogenesis of leaf/leaflet has posed the question how different are these in tendrils, which are another type of vegetative lateral organ. Here, the venation patterns of leaflets, stipules and tendrils were compared in the model species, P. sativum. Unlike reticulated venation in leaflets and stipules, venation in tendrils comprised of one or more primary veins. A few secondaries were attached to a primary vein, mostly distally. Bilaterally symmetrical secondary veins were rare. The primary veins in tendrils were daughter strands from dichotomously divided mother veins in rachis, connected finally to vascular strands in stem. A tendril received primary vein from one or more mother strands. Some mother strands contributed primary veins to proximal, distal and terminal domain tendrils of af leaf. The tendrils shared the multi-primary vein character with stipules. Vein redundancy provided a mechanism for survival of tendril/leaf against injury to some of the veins/mother veins. The presence of aborted primary veins that did not reach apex, rows of cambium cells attached to primary vein(s) at apex, the pattern of attachment of primary veins to mother veins and cessation of vein growth in apical direction in aborted tendrils of af lld genotype indicated that the growth of primary veins and tendril was acropetal. Loss-of-function of AF extended the repression of TL and MFP genes on leaflet development from distal and apical domains to proximal domain of leaves in af mutants.