Studies on silicon accumulation in developing internodal epidermal cells of Cyperus alternifolius

Abstract

Electron probe analysis was employed to study the accumulation and distribution of silicon in differentiating epidermal cells of the developing internode of Cyperus alternifolius. The process of silicon accumulation was found to occur from the base to the tip of an elongating internode. The accumulation of silicon by long epidermal cells and silica cells in the elongating internode appears to occur in two stages: the first is gradual and takes place in the basal portion of the internode in regions within the intercalary meristem; the second is rapid and occurs at sites well above the intercalary meristem. The first stage is much more prolonged in the long epidermal cells than in the silica cells. This study indicates that in plants such as Cyperus the process of silification does not proceed nearly as rapidly as in internodes of Avena (oat) and Equisetum. Possible explanations for these differences are discussed.