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Annals of Botany 52: 927-929, 1983
© 1983 Annals of Botany Company

OTHER

Silica Spicules in Canary Grass

R. H. NEWMAN and A. L. MACKAY

Imperial Cancer Research Fund, Lincoln's Inn Fields London WC2A 3PX
Department of Crystallography, Birkbeck College Malet Street, London WCIE 7HX

Accepted: 20 July 1983   

The hairs occurring on the surface and the persistent bracts of the fruits of canary grass (Phalaris canariensis) consist of opaline silica spicules emerging from the abaxial epidermal cells. They are approx. 500 µm long and taper from a diameter of 15 um at the base to a tip radius of 0.3 µm. These spicules are found in the diet of people living in areas in which very high incidences of oesophageal cancer occur. The microstructure of cleaned spicules is complex and differes from that of mineral opal and also from tabashir, a plant opal occurring in bamboo, which is a relatively unstructured emulsion of silica particles.

Phalaris canariensis, silica deposits, silicification, hairs, electron microscopy, lectron-probe, microanalysis


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