Anthurium Leafs

From: MOTO_DO at t-online.de (Thomas Mottl) on 1999.01.20 at 20:58:47(2930) Aroiders, Anthuriophiles, which cellular structures in Anthurium leafs are responsible for that sparkling and glimmer which can be seen at some species from Section Cardiolonchium, for example. A. crystallinum? Are there Calcium-oxalat Raphides in upper leaf layers, or what else. And could this only be seen in this section? (I think it is not so). And is it worthy to take a look in the microscope? Thomas +More moto_do@t-online.de

From: Michael Marcotrigiano <marcotrigiano at pssci.umass.edu> on 1999.01.20 at 22:06:15(2931) I'm not familiar with these plants but it could be epidermal blister patterns as seen in Pilea cadieri and many begonias of the angelwing type. See my review on variegation patterns in HORTSCIENCE 32:773-784 for more photos and details. +More At 03:06 PM 1/20/99 -0600, you wrote: >Aroiders, Anthuriophiles, > >which cellular structures in Anthurium leafs are responsible for that >sparkling and glimmer which can be seen at some species from Section >Cardiolonchium, for example. A. crystallinum? >Are there Calcium-oxalat Raphides in upper leaf layers, or what else. >And could this only be seen in this section? (I think it is not so). >And is it worthy to take a look in the microscope? > >Thomas >moto_do@t-online.de > > > ************************************************************* Michael Marcotrigiano (email: marcotrigiano@pssci.umass.edu) Professor Rm 211 French Hall Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences Univ of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 USA ------------------------------------ voice: 413-545-5227 fax: 413-545-3075 att: Michael Marcotrigiano

From: Neil Carroll <zzamia at hargray.com> on 1999.01.21 at 00:34:41(2932) At 03:00 PM 1/20/99 -0600, you wrote: >Aroiders, Anthuriophiles, > >which cellular structures in Anthurium leafs are responsible for that >sparkling and glimmer which can be seen at some species from Section >Cardiolonchium, for example. A. crystallinum? >Are there Calcium-oxalat Raphides in upper leaf layers, or what else. >And could this only be seen in this section? (I think it is not so). >And is it worthy to take a look in the microscope? > >Thomas +More >moto_do@t-online.de >From what I can remember off the top of my head it has been my understanding that the shimmer was caused by the shape and amount of translucency of the epidermal cells of the leaf. The light being refracted to provide the crystalline effect. I hadn't thought of the raphide cell thing but it sounds good, I'll have to look at my plants tommorrow and check that out. Yes, this effect is found in other sections of Anthurium. For example, Anth. clarinervium has very similar leaf surface characteristics to Anth. crystallinum but has recently been removed from sec. Cardiolonchium. In sec. Porphyrochitonium there is Anth. wendlingeri which is weakly crystlline on the back side (this might be a stretch). Also Anth. pallidiflorum ( another strap leaf from Ecuador) has a crystalline midrib and leaf back. I believe A. pallidiflorum to be in sec. Porphyrochitonium also, but have not discussed this with Tom Croat yet. (Tom?). I have another Anth. sp. from Ecuador which also exhibits this effect but I do not know what sec. it is in. It is a small birdsnest form with a velvety upper surface and a crystalline underside it has orange berries and the plant seems to be apomiptic (sp??)(setting seeds without pollination). I bet others can think of more. If I had a microscope, I would look. If you do, let us know what you see. Neil Carroll

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