Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 65. (Budapest 1973)

Kováts, D.: Anatomical investigations on the vegetative system of Lithospermum purpureo-coeruleum L.

In. Lithospermum purpureo-coeruleum L., however, I found the evolvement of the contiguous phloem ring only by the appearance of the secondary elements. As compared to the xylem, the phloem is insignificant in volume. There is maximum of three rows of calls only in the epigeous shoots (Plate II, Figs. 1, 3), as estabhshed already by JODIN (1903) for the genus Lithospermum. Sieve tubes narrow and strongly elongated. Phloem of rhizome mav be even 10-12-seriate (Plate II, Fig. 4). Pith Cross-section of pith parenchymatous cells rounded, cells thin-walled, intracellular passages mostly triangular in cross-sections (Plate I, Figs. 3-4; Plate IL Figs. 1, 3). In longitudinal sections, pith parenchymatous cells either elongated in direction of longitudinal axis, or contrarily, being longest in their transversal plane and shortened in their longitudinal axis, or more or less isodiametric. No sclerotization found in pith parenchyma of epigeous shoots. According to my observations hitherto, the pith parenchyma is only partly sclerotized, with some unsclerotized pith parenchyma cells invariably also present medially (Plate II, Fig. 4). The characteristic anatomical features of foliage leaves Epiderm Wall of synepidermal cells meandering in superior view. Cell walls separating epidermal calls from each other denselv sinuous, cells intricately dovetailing into each other (Plate IV, Fig. 3). CeUs of abaxial epiderm (on underside of leaves) rather zig-zaggy than irregularly undulating in superior view. Cell walls separating epidermal cells in- or evaginate also here, but this sinuosity occurring more rarely and of bigger dimensions than on axial side, present rather in angles of wall, thus even more stressing fractured borders of cells (Plate IV, Fig. 4). Jo DIN (1903) has already estabhshed for Lithospermum purpureo-coeruleum L. that its epidermal cells have angulated borders, especially on the underside of the leaves. His statement that there are ..nodules" at the angles may trivially hold, and JODIN was unable to observe the finer structure of the "nodes" only because of the lower magnification powers of the microscopes of his time (Plate IV, Figs. 3-4; Plate V, Figs. 1-2). Stomata In the course of my studies I found stomata on the abaxial epiderm only (Plate IV, Fig. 4; Plate V, Fig. 1), and thus I cannot concur with JODIN'S (1903) statement as to the difference being slight in the number of stomata on the axial and abaxial epiderms. Jodin extended this statement also to the whole genus. The majority o f stomata have on acessory ceUs, and are thus of the Ranunculaceae type (Plate IV, Fig. 4). Concerning stoma types, literature is contradictory. Citing STRASBURGER and VESQUE, SOLEREDER (1899) contends that stomata of the Cruciferae type are characteristic of the family, that is, the stomata prossess accessory cells. On the other hand, according to METCALFE & CHALK (1965), stomata i Természettudományi Múzeum Évkönyve 1973.