J Integr Plant Biol. ›› 1980, Vol. 22 ›› Issue (4): -.

• Research Articles •    

The Anatomical Structure of Culms of Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex H. de Lehaie

Hsiung Wen-yue, Qiao Shi-yi and Li You-fen   

Abstract: A culm consists of the rind, basic and vascular systems. The rind system is composed of epidermis, hypodermis and cortex which are of small, thick-walled and well packed cells and mainly functions as an outer wall to protect the culm tissues. The basic system is made up of ground tissue and pith-ring. Pith-ring is the inner wall of the culm consisting of several layers of densely arranged, highly lignified cells. Between the rind system and pith-ring is the ground tissue in which collateral vascular bundles are well embedded. Vascular bund]es are well developed with four fibre caps, two lateral on either side of vessels and two polar, one outside the phloem and the other around the intercellular space. All of them function effectively in fixing the conductive elements in position and strengthening the ground tissue around within the culm wall. Vessels and sieve tubes are of vital importance to bamboo life, but partially blocked and eventually lose their conductivity due to deposition of tylosis that may cause death of the aged culms. All cells are strictly axially arranged within the internodes of culm, but become highly modified in the nodes. During intercalary growth of bamboo shoot the vascular bundles of a sheath are connected with those of the culm periphery and become abscissed off to form a sheath scar around the node after cessation of the growth. Inside the periphery, vascular bundles are variably crooked, branched or reunited in the node which becomes causatively swollen, especially in the joint of side branches. Some nodal bundles bend radially inward to pass into the diaphragm where they are irregularly interwoven within the ground tissue, play an important role in transverse conduction and provide mechanical support of the culm.

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