THE CELL WALL IN THE RADICLE OF VICIA FABA AND THE SHAPE OF THE MERISTEMATIC CELLS

The Development of the Shoot Apex and of the Primary Thickening Meristem in Phoenix Canariensis Chaub., With Comparisons to Washingtonia Filifera Wats. And Trachycarpus Excelsa Wendl.

“…They differ only in the degree of their development from the simple pit pairs of mature parenchyma cell walls. The cell wall structure in these shoot apices is closely comparable to that described by Tupper-Carey and Priestley (1924) for cells of the root apex of Vicia faba. Foster (1938) found such primary pit fields in cells of the shoot apex of Ginkgo and (1939a) in the shoot apex of the seedling of Cycas recoluta.…”

“…The anisotropic character of the cell walls in these shoot apices suggests that cellulose is the fundamental material making up the walls. The cellulose reactions of I-KI and chloriodide of zinc were never obtained upon them, and it is probable that the cellulose in the cell walls of these shoot apices is masked by protein in the manner described by Tupper-Carey and Priestley (1923) for the root apices of Vicia faba and of Phaseolus, Insufficient material has prevented the author from carrying out those workers' techniques on the palm apices. The possibility that other substances than proteins may mask the cellulose in these walls must also be considered.…”

Developmental Morphology of Vascular Plants

“…The meristematic cells at the apex of one of the higher plants are thought of as having a plastic nature, without osmotically active vacuoles which would cause them to swell greatly. In this way is explained the lack of intercellular spaces (Priestley, 1928) and the cell shape (Tupper-Carey & Priestley, 1924) approaching the tetrakaidekahedron to he expected when plastic spheres are pressed together. The cell walls, according to Tupper-Carey & Priestley (1923), contain cellulose and a soft pectic substance which they speak of as pectin.…”

The Influence of Air Spaces on the Three-Dimensional Shapes of Cells in Elodea Stems, and a Comparison with Pith Cells of Ailanthus

“…Tupper-Carey and Priestley (1924) studied the shapes of meristematic cells in the radicle of Vicia faba L., using a maceration technique. They found an irregular network of cellulose bands on these cells which suggested to them that they were 14hedral.…”