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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #138867
Title: CALCIUM OXALATE CRYSTALS IN LEAVES OF GLYCINE SPECIES AND RELATED TAXA

Author
item HORNER, HARRY - ISU
item MARTINEZ CERVANTES, T - ISU
item HZMOWITZ, T - UNIV OF IL
item BROWN, ANTHONY - CSIRO
item PALMER, REID

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/19/2002
Publication Date: 8/19/2002
Citation: HORNER, H.T., MARTINEZ CERVANTES, T., HZMOWITZ, T., BROWN, A., PALMER, R.G. CALCIUM OXALATE CRYSTALS IN LEAVES OF GLYCINE SPECIES AND RELATED TAXA. MEETING ABSTRACT. 2002. FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETY OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGISTS. Paper No. 69.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystals occur in about three-fourths of all the flowering plants. The location and structure of the crystals have been used in some systematic studies. The Genus Glycine includes the cultivated soybean, the wild annual soybean, and about 22 wild perennial species. Our objective was to survey 24 species within Glycine (about 300 accessions) and 15 related genera (about 18 species and 60 accessions) for CaOx leaf crystals to determine any variation in the shape of crystals, their number and their distribution within the leaf. Leaf samples (circular leaf punches) were obtained from both living plants and dried herbarium specimens. The samples were chemically cleared, mounted on slides, and viewed with a compound light microscope between crossed polarizers. In general, the leaf surfaces of all of these taxa displayed a few to many trichomes. Internally, all taxa displayed in varying degrees twinned prismatic crystals (CaOx monohydrate) associated with the veins and lamina. Only one taxon showed few or no crystals. Variations in crystal shape, number, and location are presented pictorially, and in relation to the taxonomy of soybean species and their allied taxa. The annual and perennial Glycine species are also compared with each other using a phylogenetic tree based on molecular data. In summary, Ca Ox crystal location within the leaf lamina can be used as an identifying character to separate most species from each other, or to show similarities among species closely allied to each other.