An investigation into the anatomical differences between flat and folded leaves in reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.)

Abstract

Reed canarygrass, Phalaris arundinacea L., is one of the most productive, perennial cool-season grasses. It is found in humid and subhumid regions of the northern United States and southern Canada. Reed canarygrass plants with folded leaves were observed in a space-planted nursery. Morphological variants involving leaf folding or rolling have been studied in a number of grass species. None of these studies have investigated the anatomical differences between the folded leaf and more frequently occurring flat leaves in the respective species. The objective of this study was to investigate the histological differences between the folded and flat leaves. Upon sectioning, the flat leaf type was observed to have turgid bulliform cells, while those in the folded leaves were flaccid. And the folded leaves appeared to have a larger sclerenchymal layer in the extended bundle sheaths compared with the flat leaves. Incorporating the folded leaf genotype into a breeding program may allow the cultivation of reed canarygrass in more arid regions, and may improve the biofuel quality of a resulting cultivar. Key words: Leaf morphology, anatomy, plant breeding, cool-season grass, folded leaf