=Lenticels=.—On the young woody twigs of many plants (marked in
osiers, cherry, birch) there are small corky spots or elevations
known as =lenticels= (Fig. 117). They mark the location of some
loose cork cells that function as stomates, for _green shoots_, as
well as leaves, take in and discharge gases; that is, soft green
twigs _function as leaves_. Under some of these twig stomates,
corky material may form and the opening is torn and enlarged: _the
lenticels are successors to the stomates_. The stomates lie in the
epidermis, but as the twig ages the epidermis perishes and the
bark becomes the external layer. _Gases continue to pass in and out
through the lenticels_, until the branch becomes heavily covered
with thick, corky bark. With the growth of the twig, the lenticel
scars enlarge lengthwise or crosswise or assume other shapes, often
becoming characteristic markings.
=Fibro-vascular Bundles.=—We have studied the fibro-vascular
bundles of stems (Chap. X). These stem bundles _continue into the
leaves, ramifying into the veins_, carrying the soil water inwards
and bringing, by diffusion, the elaborated food out through the
sieve-cells. Cut across a petiole and notice the hard spots or areas
in it; strip these parts lengthwise of the petiole. What are they?
=Fall of the Leaf.=—In most common deciduous plants, when the
season’s work for the leaf is ended, the nutritious matter may be
withdrawn, and _a layer of corky cells is completed over the surface
of the stem where the leaf is attached_. _The leaf soon falls._ It
often falls even before it is killed by frost. Deciduous leaves
begin to show the surface line of articulation in the early growing
season. This articulation may be observed at any time during the
summer. The area of the twig once covered by the petioles is called
the =leaf-scar= after the leaf has fallen. In Chap. XV are shown a
number of leaf-scars. In the plane tree (sycamore or buttonwood), the
leaf-scar is in the form of a ring surrounding the bud, for the bud
is covered by the hollowed end of the petiole; the leaf of sumac is
similar. Examine with a hand lens leaf-scars of several woody plants.
Note the number of bundle-scars in each leaf-scar. Sections may be
cut through a leaf-scar and examined with the microscope. Note the
character of cells that cover the leaf-scar surface.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account