The leaf anatomy of beech, Fagus grandifolia

Abstract

Observations have been made on the anatomy of beech, Fagus grandifolia Ehrh., with an emphasis on quantitative features. All surface areas and volumes were determined by projecting 2-μm serial sections, measuring them with a map tracer, and multiplying cell perimeters by section thickness or by the trace–cut–weight method. The organization of tissues, including a complex reticulate venation, is typical of many dicotyledons. Of the minor veins, only the quinternaries and veinlets lack bundle sheath extensions and have wholly parenchymatous bundle sheaths, the cells of which are often oriented at right angles to the vein. There are 12.1 mm of vein per square millimetre of leaf surface area, and 10 μm of vein (the diameter of a mesophyll cell) serves about 21.5 mesophyll cells. The mean maximum distance over which water and solutes must move between vascular tissue and mesophyll is 55 μm. The mesophyll cell walls may provide the pathway through which the bulk of the water moves; the volume occupied by the mesophyll cell walls is 55.7 mm3 or 11% of total leaf volume. The evaporative surface of the mesophyll is 13.36 mm2/mm2 leaf surface area.