Comparison of the anatomical pattern of the stem in the lianescent, arboreal and shrubby habits in the Bignoniaceae

• Grant number: 12/01098-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: February 28, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Veronica Angyalossy
• Grantee: Caian Souza Gerolamo
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Plant communities are generally constituted of species with different habits: lianoid, arboreal, shrubby, and herbaceous. Many plant families present, among their members, species with different habits. It is the formation of the anatomical structure peculiar to each habit that confers characteristics such as mechanical properties for self-support, flexibility, torsion, conduction, and regeneration. Lianas, differently from the majority of trees and shrubs usually present cambial variants, wider sieve tubes and vessels, a higher amount of parenchyma, and a lower amount of fibers. The present work aims to carry out a comparative analysis of stems from species with different habits: lianoid, arboreal, and shrubby belonging to the Bignoniaceae. Within the Bignoniaceae, the lianoid and, more rarely shrubby habits, are well represented in tribe Bignonieae, being also present in tribe Tecomeae, as well as habit arboreal. Eleven species with different habits (arboreal, lianoid, and shrubby) will be collected from two tribes of the family: Bignonieae and Tecomae. The anatomical procedures will follow the traditional methods used in plant anatomy, consisting of transverse, radial, and tangential sections encompassing the periderm, secondary phloem, cambium, and secondary xylem. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses will be done for the conducting tissues. With this work, we expect to find differences and similarities in form, arrangement, quantity, and other anatomical components among the lianoid, arboreal and shrubby habits, something still overlooked within the Bignoniaceae and in plants as a whole. (AU)