Structure And Development Of Internal Phloem In Solanum Pseudocapsicum (Solanaceae)

Abstract

The development of internal phloem in the Jerusalem cherry, Solanum pseudocapsicum L. (Solanaceae), was studied in young and mature stems. The early presence of primary internal phloem is succeeded by the development of secondary internal phloem from an internal cambium situated between the protoxylem and primary internal phloem. In the second and third visible internodes of the young stem, procambial derivatives begin to differentiate as discrete strands of internal protophloem in a perimedullary position prior to the differentiation of protoxylem and external protophloem. In 6–8 mm diameter stems, sieve elements of the internal phloem become non-conducting, begin to collapse, and undergo obliteration. In 15–20 mm diameter stems internal cambium is initiated from the parenchyma cells situated between the protoxylem and primary internal phloem. The development of internal phloem and an internal cambium in S. pseudocapsicum is compared with that in other taxa. There seems to be a gradual variation in the origin of an internal cambium from either remnants of the procambium or dedifferentiation of peripheral pith cells across dicotyledons with an internal cambium.