Distribution of calcium oxalate crystals in floral organs of Araceae in relation to pollination strategy.

Premise Of The Study: Many flowers are pollinated by potentially hungry insects, yet flowers also contain gametes and embryos which must be protected from predation. Microscopic calcium oxalate crystals in plant tissues have been proposed to protect against herbivory. Aroids, which have an unusual diversity of such crystals, also exhibit diverse pollination strategies.

Diversity and distribution of idioblasts producing calcium oxalate crystals in Dieffenbachia seguine (Araceae).

Although cells that synthesize crystals are known throughout the plant kingdom, their functional significance is still unknown. Mechanical support, mineral balance, waste sequestration, and protection against herbivores have all been proposed as crystal functions. To seek clues to their role(s), I systematically examined all organs except fruit of Dieffenbachia seguine (Araceae) for crystals.

Involvement of phosphoinositide turnover in tracheary element differentiation in Zinnia elegans L. cells.

Mesophyll cells of Zinnia elegans L., cultured in the presence of phytohormones, will transdifferentiate and undergo programmed cell death to become tracheary elements, thick-walled cells of the xylem. This system is a model system for study of plant cell development and differentiation.