Feb-Apr.2012, Vol.2.No.2, 877-884 e- ISSN: 2249 –1929 Journal of Chemical, Biological and Physical Sciences An International Peer Review E-3 Journal of Sciences Available online at www.jcbsc.org Section B: Biological Sciences CODEN (USA): JCBPAT Research Article Study of Vessel Elements In the stem of Genus Cuphea, Woodfordia, Lawsonia, and Lagerstroemia. [Lythraceae] Anil A.Kshirsagar* 1 and N.P.Vikos 2 *1Department of Botany, Shivaji Art’s, Commerce and Science College kannad, Dist-Aurangabad (M.S.) 431103 2Department of Botany Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad. (M.S.) 431103 Received: 28 March 2012: Revised 10 April 2012; Accepted: 20 April 2012 ABSTRACT The vessel elements in four genera and nine species have been investigated. The vessel elements in the stem of Cuphea, Woodfordia, Lawsonia and Lagerstroemia exhibit variation in their length and breadth in the different species or in the plant of same species. The minimum length of vessel element was recorded in Cuphea ignea (285.6 µm) and the maximum length of vessel element was recorded in Lagerstroemia microcarpa (714 µm) while minimum diameter of vessels was recorded in Cuphea ignea (14.2 µm) and maximum diameter of vessel element was recorded in Lagerstroemia reginae (71.4 µm) The perforation plates are mostly simple, however in certain taxa both simple and scalariform perforation plates are occurs. The position of perforations are terminal sub-terminal, the tails are recorded in many taxa, and the lateral wall are pitted .The vestured pits are characteristic of family Lythraceae. Keywords: Vessel elements, Perforation plate, Stem Cuphea, Woodfordia, Lawsonia, Lagerstroemia. (Lythraceae) INTRODUCTION The family Lythraceae consist of about 24 genera and nearly 500 species wide spread in the temperate regions 1 In India it is represented by 11 genera and about 45 species 2The species of annuals ,perennials, tree native to the tropical and subtropical America and Hawaiian islands. According to Solereder 3, Metcalfe and Chalk 4, simple perforations are common in this family. Bass and Zweypfenning 5, 877 J. Chem. Bio. Phy. Sci. Sec. B. 2012, Vol.2, N0.2, 877-884. Study... Anil A.Kshirsagar et al. Cronquist 6, also mention such elements with simple perforation plates of vessel members.Therefore,the present work gives a comphrensive account on stem of nine species of family Lythraceae. MATERIAL AND METHODS The plant material of nine species spread in four genera of the family Lythraceae are studied and collected namely Woodfordia fruticosa (Linn.) Krunz; Lagerstroemia microcarpa Wight L. Lagerstroemia parviflora Roxb, Lagerstroemia speciosa (Linn.) Lagerstroemia tomentosa Bremek.were collected from Kannad, Aurangabad, Kolhapur, Kinwat, and Dhule and fixed in FAA. They were preserved in 70% alcohol. The stem macerated in 1:1 proportion of 10% nitric acid and 10% chromic acid solution and then the materials were washed thoroughly in water, stained in 1% safranin and mounted in glycerin. The illustrations and camera Lucida drawings made at the same magnification. RESULT AND DISCUSSIONS The vessel elements in the stem of nine species of the Genus Cuphea, Woodfordia, Lawsonia and Lagerstroemia of family Lythraceae were observed. Size: The vessel elements are categorized on their length for the sake of convenience. Short: The average length of short elements of the stem vessel ranges from 285.5µm ( Cuphea ignea) to 357 µm (Lagerstroemia tomentosa) and diameter from 14.2 µm ( Cuphea ignea) to28.5 µm( Lawsonia inermis ). As shown in Table:1 Table-1: showing vessel elements in stem of woodfordia, Cuphea, Lawsonia and Lagerstroemia , with respect to length and diameter in micron meter. Sr. Name of Plant Length of vessel elements in Diameter of vessel elements No. µm in µm Min. Max. Aveg. Min. Max. Aveg. 1 Woodfordia fruticosa 428.4 642.6 504.7 21.4 57.1 41.4 2 Cuphea ignea 285.5 428.4 342.7 14.2 57.1 39.2 3 Lawsonia inermis 428.4 678.3 592.6 28.5 57.1 42.8 4 Lagerstroemia indica 428.4 642.6 564 28.5 57.1 42.12 5 Lagerstroemia microcarpa 428.4 714 580 35.7 49.9 42.8 6 Lagerstroemia parviflora 285.6 642.6 496.2 35.7 49.9 43.5 7 Lagerstroemia reginae 485.5 678.3 569.7 35.7 71.4 47.1 8 Lagerstroemia speciosa 499.8 642.6 546.2 35.7 57.1 42.8 9 Lagerstroemia tomentosa 357 642.6 499.8 35.7 57.1 45.6 Long: The average length of long vessel elements in stem ranges from 285.5µm ( Cuphea ignea) to 499.8µm ( Lagerstroemia speciosa ) and diameter ranges from 49.9µm ( Lagerstroemia microcarpa ) to71.4µm (Lagerstroemia reginae ) Table: 1 Shape: Generally the vessel elements in the stem are cylindrical, tubular shapes observed in many species of studied taxa. Perforation plate: The perforation plates are occurs at terminal or sub terminal end of the vessel elements. (Table:2 ) The shape of the perforation plate is usually circular, sometimes oval or elongated. In many species simple perforation plate is common except Lagerstroemia microcarpa and Lagerstroemia parviflora, both monoperforate as well as multiperforate perforation plates occurs (Fig:2 e ,f,g,j ).The number of bars in scalariform plate is variable they are five to ten in numbers. The end walls of the vessel elements are either oblique or transverse. 878 J. Chem. Bio. Phy. Sci. Sec. B, 2012, Vol.2, N o2 .877 -884. Study... Anil A.Kshirsagar et al. Tail: A vessel elements may ends with a spur like projection called as tail. In presently examined species some of the vessel elements have tails ( Fig:1 e,f g, h,i,j, Fig:2 b,d,f,I ;Fig:3a,b,e ).The tails is long or short with blunt or pointed end. Table: 2 showing vessel elements in stem of woodfordia, Cuphea, Lawsonia and Lagerstroemia, with respect to position, lateral wall & nature of end wall Sr.N Name of Plant Perforation plate Position of Lateral wall Nature of o. perforation plate thickening End wall 1 Simple Terminal Pitted Oblique Woodfordia fruticosa 2 Cuphea ignea Simple Sub Terminal Pitted Oblique 3 Lawsonia inermis Simple Sub-Terminal Pitted Transverse & Oblique 4 Lagerstroemia indica Simple Terminal Pitted Oblique 5 Lagerstroemia microcarpa Simple & Terminal Pitted Transverse Scalariform 6 Lagerstroemia parviflora Simple & Terminal Pitted Transverse Scalariform 7 Lagerstroemia reginae Simple Terminal Pitted Transverse 8 Lagerstroemia speciosa Simple Terminal Pitted Oblique 9 Lagerstroemia tomentosa Simple Terminal Pitted Oblique & Transverse 879 J. Chem. Bio. Phy. Sci. Sec. B, 2012, Vol.2, N o2 .877 -884. Study... Anil A.Kshirsagar et al. 880 J. Chem. Bio. Phy. Sci. Sec. B, 2012, Vol.2, N o2 .877 -884. Study... Anil A.Kshirsagar et al. Lateral wall thickening: The lateral wall thickening is of only one type in all the investigated taxa that is simple pitted. The pits are mostly alternate. In some taxa vestured pits are observed very rare opposite pits. The vessel elements shows variation in the length and bread th in different species and even the plants of same species .The shortest vessel elements is 285.5µm found in stem of Cuphea ignea and longest one 714µm in Lagerstroemia microcarpa (Table:1 )The vessel element length is more than 700µm is noted in the stem of Lagerstroemia microcarpa . The shortest vessel member may have the breadth as high as14.2µm in Cuphea ignea where as largest vessel members have the breadth as high as 71.4µm in Lagerstroemia reginae (Table: 1 ) Different shapes of vessel members occur .T hey are mostly cylindrical, tubular in shape .The perforation plate simple except Lagerstroemia microcarpa and Lagerstroemia parviflora, the vessel elements are with scalariform perforation plate .The position of plates are terminal ,sub terminal or lateral. (Table:2 ) The occurrence of the tail has been noted in the many species.The tail is either long or short with blunt or pointed ends 7,8 .According to solereder 3,Metcalfe and Chalk 4 simple perforation plates are common in this family Bass and Zweyfenning 5 Cronquist 6 also mention such 881 J. Chem. Bio. Phy. Sci. Sec. B, 2012, Vol.2, N o2 .877 -884. Study... Anil A.Kshirsagar et al. elements with simple perforations Such type of vessel elements are also reported in scrophulariaceae 9 However, Rogers 10 reported both scalariform oblique and simple perforation plates of vessel members in Cuphea carthegenesis,Cuphea cyanea and Cuphea bustamantha in other species of Cuphea these plates are exclusively simple. he lateral wall thickening is of only one type in all the investigated taxa that is simple pitted. The pits are mostly alternate. The vessel elements are simple pitted in woods of angiosperms 11 the changes in pit membrane porosity due to deflection and stretching the vestured pits 12. According to Rabacy et al 13 , the pits of vessels are the plasmodesmata like connection and thickening in angiosperm plants. In addition to taxonomic differences some authors noticed that the micro morphology of vestured vessel may be depend on type of pitting and on pit charecteristics 14 -17 . The presence of vestured pits is observed in all families of Myrtales including Lythraceae 18,19 Observation of small simple perforation plates with vestured pits were reported by Baas 20 in Leptospermum crassipes (Myrtaceae) Kucera et.al 21 , concluded that the observation of vestures are deposited prior to the death of the protoplast. There is a strong correlation between vestured pits of vessels are nearly always associated with simple perforation plates 22 Almost all members of the order Myrtales are characterized by simple perforation plates aithough there are few exceptions 23,24 examined in details the distribution of scalariform plates within Myrtaceae.The members of myrtales with vestured scalariform perforation plates of vessels were found in Neomyrtus pedunculata 14 In many cases vestured pits are noted Solereder 3,Metcalfe and chalk 4 Bass and Zweypfenning 5 describe the inter-vessel pits alternate, vestured ,round to polygonal or elongated .However, it is interesting to note that Bass and Zweypfenning 5 exhibited spiral thickenings on its vessel walls in Heimia and faint spiral of Nesaea .According to Rogers 9 in Cuphea vessel elements commonly have annular and helical thickenings and metaxylem have combination of reticulate ,bordered pits.