RAY CONTACTS AND RATE OF ANTICLINAL DIVISION IN FUSIFORM CAMBIAL CELLS OF SOME PINACEAE

Abstract

The frequency of pseudotransverse divisions involved in cambial cell multiplication was found to be slightly higher in fusiform initials bordering on fusiform rays than in other cambial cells. The extent of difference was greater in Pinus than in Pseudotsuga or Picea. Because of the larger size of fusiform rays as compared to uniseriate rays, cambial cells adjoining the former were in contact with more ray cells per millimeter of cell length than cambial cells touching only uniseriate rays. As with the frequency of pseudotransverse division, the margin of difference in extent of ray contact was greater in Pinus than in Pseudotsuga or Picea. The evidence therefore indicates that the higher rate of pseudotransverse division in cambial cells adjoining fusiform rays was correlated with the greater area of ray contact, or more specifically, the increased contact with ray parenchyma cells. The higher rate of anticlinal division was apparently the consequence of an increase in ratio of survival of daughter initials arising in pseudotransverse division, some of the smaller newly formed initials persisting in contrast to the usual failure of similar initials situated elsewhere in the cambium. Mean height of uniseriate rays tended to increase with widening of the annual rings, but the size of fusiform rays was influenced to a much smaller degree. The frequency of fusiform rays, and horizontal resin canals, showed no consistent relationship with growth rate, but appeared to be determined by intrinsic factors.