Diversity of cell lengths in intercalary meristem regions of grasses: location of the proliferative cell population

Abstract

Intercalary meristems are responsible for the production of the majority of cells in stems. The overall objective of the present study was to determine (i) the boundaries of the proliferative parenchyma cells in the intercalary meristems and (ii) the proliferative capacity of cells in the intercalary meristems in stems of a species of Bambusa Schreb. (bamboo), Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Triticum aestivum L., and Zea mays L. Data show that lengths of parenchyma cells within proliferative portions of intercalary meristems were not the same for all intercalary meristems of a species. Lengths of elongated parenchyma cells in internodes were relatively similar among internodes of a species, but lengths of elongated parenchyma cells in internodes were not similar among the four grass species tested. For example, cell lengths of elongated parenchyma cells in internodes of P. australis ranged from 14.8 to 23.0 µm, very different from lengths of elongated cells in Bambusa sp. (69.1–75.4 µm). The number of proliferative cells in most files of intercalary meristems of Bambusa was less than 15. For many of the intercalary meristems of P. australis, the intercalary meristem consisted of 10–25 cells in each file. Fourth intercalary meristems of T. aestivum and Z. mays consisted of 20 and 25 cells in files, respectively. Data showed that none of the cell populations of the intercalary meristems of four species exhibited an exponential cell length distribution. In general, less than half of the 10 groups of cells had percentages of cells that resembled an exponential cell-age distribution. These data lead to the conclusion that not all parenchyma cells of intercalary meristems are rapidly proliferating. Also, potentially prolifera tive cells (short cells) of the intercalary meristems may not be localized into a specific zone but are more scattered throughout the nodal region.Key words: intercalary meristems, proliferative cell populations, Gramineae, cell lengths.