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AOBPreview published online on March 2, 2006
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mcl036
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
Received October 29, 2005
Revised December 8, 2005
Accepted January 11, 2006

Article

Crystal Macropattern Development in Prunus serotina (Rosaceae, Prunoideae) Leaves

NELS R. LERSTEN 1 and HARRY T. HORNER 2 *

1 Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1020, USA
2 Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, and Bessey Microscopy Facility, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1020, USA

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
HARRY T. HORNER, E-mail: hth{at}iastate.edu


  Abstract

• Background and Aims Prunus, subgenus Padus, exhibits two completely different calcium oxalate crystal macropatterns in mature leaves. Foliar macropattern development has been described previously in P. virginiana, representing one version. Prunus serotina, in the group exhibiting the second macropattern, is described here. The goal was to describe developmental details for comparison with P. virginiana, and to extend the sparse current knowledge of crystal macropatterns.

• Methods Leaves at various developmental stages were removed from local trees and from herbarium specimens. Early leaf stages and freehand leaf and stem sections were mounted directly in aqueous glycerine; larger leaves were processed whole or in representative pieces in household bleach, dehydrated in alcohol/xylol, and mounted in Permount. Crystals were detected microscopically between crossed polarizers.

• Key Results Bud scales have a dense druse population. Druses appear first at the stipule tip and proliferate basipetally but soon stop forming; growing stipules therefore have a declining density of druses. Druses appear at the tip of leaves <1 mm long, then proliferate basipetally in the midrib. Lamina druses appear in the distal marginal teeth of leaves 3 cm long; from here they proliferate basipetally and towards midrib along major veins. In about two-thirds-grown leaves (6-9 cm length) druses are all adaxial to veins of most orders; a shift occurs then to formation of prisms, which appear first abaxial to, then all around, veins. Mature leaves have virtually all prisms encrusting all major veins, more sparsely along smaller minor veins. Late season leaves form epitactic crystals on existing prismatics.

• Conclusions The developing and mature macropattern of P. serotina is almost the reverse of the pattern described previously in P. virginiana, and shows that two closely related species can develop radically different modes of crystallization. The few detailed macropattern studies to date reveal striking variations that indicate a new level of organization that must be integrated with the anatomical, physiological and molecular approaches that have been dominant so far.

Keywords: Black cherry, calcium oxalate, choke cherry, crystals, crystal macropattern, druses, prismatics, Prunus serotina, Prunus virginiana, Rosaceae.
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