Border Cells and Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in Four Amaranthaceae Species

Abstract

Four species from the family Amaranthaceae were studied to determine border cell production and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization. It was found that border cells, also known as sloughed root cap cells, are produced by all plant species studied and increase with increasing root length until a maximum number is reached at a root length of 25 mm. However, the increase in border cells with increasing root length is not uniform between species. Arbuscular mycorrhizal root colonization was found in all the Amaranthaceae species, and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization was positively correlated with maximum border cell production.