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ANATOMICAL DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE PISTILLATE SPIKELETS OF THE SPECIES OF WILD‐RICE (ZIZANIA, POACEAE)
Author(s) -
Duvall Melvin R.,
Biesboer David D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1988.tb12170.x
Subject(s) - biology , botany , poaceae , perennial plant , morphology (biology) , zoology
The most reliable macromorphological characters that can be used to discriminate between the annual species of the genus Zizania are found in the pistillate spikelet. One aspect of this morphology is a textural dimorphism. The pistillate lemmas and paleas of Z. aquatica are chartaceous (papery) whereas those of Z. palustris are coriaceous (leathery). Pistillate lemmas and paleas of the two perennial species, Z. texana and Z. latifolia , are also chartaceous. To determine the anatomical basis for the nature of this character, pistillate lemmas and paleas were either fixed, treated with hydrofluoric acid, and sectioned; or fresh material was sectioned on a freezing microtome. Those with a chartaceous texture were found to have a single layer of thin‐walled, subepidermal fibers whereas those with a coriaceous texture had at least two layers of thick‐walled, subepidermal fibers.