Histologically, family Convolvulaceae is characterised by the presence of successive cambia, medullary (internal/intraxylary) and interxylary phloem in majority of the species, whereas some of the members are devoid of successive cambia and medullary bundles. The present study on Argyreia nervosa (Burm. f.) Bojer showed the presence of medullary bundles while internal phloem was absent during the primary growth. As the secondary growth progressed, successive cambia initiated from the pericyclic parenchyma. Development of medullary bundles began along with the regular protoxylem and protophloem while formation of intraxylary phloem was observed only after the initiation of secondary growth. Medullary/intraxylary sieve elements began to develop from the marginal pith cells. In thick stems, small segments of internal cambium initiated between the protoxylem and internal phloem. This internal cambium was functionally unidirectional and produced internal phloem centripetally. Developmental particulars are described in details along with its significance.
Young stems of Aerva javanica (Burm.f.) Juss. ex Schult., A. lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult, A. monsonia Mart., A. sanguinolenta (L.) Blume, Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) G. Nicholson, A. philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., Gomphrena celosioides Mart., G. globosa L. and Telanthera ficoidea (L.) Moq., showed the renewal of small sectors of cambium by replacing with new segments. Therefore, the secondary phloem formed by earlier cambial segments form isolated islands of phloem enclosed within conjunctive tissues became embedded in the secondary xylem. As the stem grows older, complete ring of cambium is renewed; sometimes an anastomosing network of successive cambia may be seen due to the renewal of larger segments of the cambium. Renewal of the cambium takes place by repeated periclinal division in the parenchyma cells positioned outside to the phloem formed by the previous cambium. Functionally the cambium is bidirectional and exclusively composed of fusiform cambial cells. Differentiation of conducting elements of the secondary xylem and phloem remains restricted to the certain cambial cells while rest of the segments exclusively produce conjunctive cells. Accumulation of starch along with the presence of nuclei in the xylem fibers even after deposition of the secondary wall is consistent in all the species and it seems to be associated with the absence of rays in the secondary xylem and phloem of nine species from four genera. The significance of successive cambia, rayless xylem and nucleated xylem fibers were correlated with plant habit.
Ipomoea laxiflora H. J. Chowdhery & Debta (Convolvulaceae) is reported as an addition to the flora of Dhule, Jalgaon and Nandurbar Districts and as a new distributional record for North Maharashtra. Morphologically, present species similar to I. triloba L., and is separated by absence of hairs on ovary and capsules. So far, the present species is reported from northern part of India, Gadchiroli (Vidarbha) and Ichalkaranji (Kolhapur District). A brief description, distribution, conservation status is given to facilitate easy identification of I. laxiflora in the field.
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