Phytoliths produced by common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), achira (Canna indica L.), and squash (Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché), crop species from Boyacá, Colombia

Abstract

Silica structures were analyzed in three species used by both pre-Hispanic and present-day populations in central Colombia: squash, common bean, and achira. In squash (Cucurbita ficifolia Bouché), structures were found in leaves and fruit epidermis, with undulated scalloped phytoliths and trichome forms. In achira (Canna indica L.), globular phytoliths with circular ornamentation in the center were found in leaves and corresponded to the Globulolita morpho-tribe. In common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), elongated phytoliths with hooked ends were found on leaves and belonged to the Capilusita morpho-tribe. Through the standardization of the phytolith extraction protocol (dry ashing method), we established that leaves are the structures with the highest content of phytoliths in the species studied.