Leaf blade and midrib anatomy of two sugarcane cultivars of Bangladesh

Abstract

Context: Kranz anatomy of locally developed sugarcane cultivars were studied in relation to C4 vascular arrangement. Objective: The objective of this study was to make gross cross-sectional anatomy and quantitative assessment of the anatomic traits of the leaf-blade and midrib of the sugarcane cultivars. Materials and Methods: Leaf blade and leaf sheath of two sugarcane cultivars Ishurdi 20 and Ishurdi 32 were used as the materials. Free hand section with appropriate stain were used. Sections were studied using an advanced biological system microscope fitted with motic camera. Anatomic traits were studied through motic image plus J 1.0 software using Macintosh computer. Results: Three sized vascular bundles and significant differences in distance between those vascular bundles were noted. Ishurdi 32 possessed two sized vascular bundles. Large vascular bundles characters by two large metaxylem vessels on either side of protoxylem. Phloem well developed. Intermediate and small bundles lack metaxylem vessels and protoxylem, but have metaphloem with thick and thin walled sieve tubes. Bundle sheaths have extended to upper and lower epidermis but for small bundle it is extended to abaxial epidermis. Vascular bundles are almost completely surrounded by chlorenchymatous bundle sheath and associated with hypodermal sclerenchyma on both abaxially and adaxially except small blade bundles which associated with the abaxial sclerenchyma. Bundle sheath cells were smaller in large and larger in other two types of vascular bundle. An inner mestome sheath with thickened walls is always present round the phloem and metaxylem around all or part of the xylem in large and intermediate bundles. In small bundles mestome sheath is altogether absent. Bulliform cells with varied area were present on the adaxial epidermis opposite to small vascular bundles. Midrib anatomy consists of central large vascular bundles lacking bundle sheath cells pushed deep inside parenchymatous hypodermis from abaxial hypodermal sclerenchyma girders. Lack of Kranz traits, and bundle sheath cells have transformed into sclerenchymatous bundle cover. Central mid-rib large bundle flanked by 3-10 small bundles on either side of midrib which have Kranz system of anatomy. Midrib region have continuous hypodermis consists of sclerenchyma cells and it is few layer (Ishurdi 32) to multilayer (Ishurdi 20). Conclusion: Kranz system with well developed bundle sheath associated with Kranz mesophil in the leaf blade were observed but Kranz tissue absent in midrib region. Large and small vascular bundles alternate all alone the leaf blade. Bulliform cell well develop indicates zeric adaptation. Two cultivars differ in respect of quantitative expression of Kranz tissue.