What are they?

[Ken Kinman]

     I'm not sure why you concluded that they are not crystals, but they
look like phytoliths to me.  But I'm a zoologist, not a botanist.
     I looked it up to make sure, and some Annonaceae do produce phytoliths,
so that is one possibility.
          ---- Cheers,  Ken
***************************************
>From: Ruijiang Wang <rwang at HKUSUA.HKU.HK>
>Reply-To: Ruijiang Wang <rwang at HKUSUA.HKU.HK>
>To: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
>Subject: What are they?
>Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 08:50:15 -0600
>
>Dear all,
>
>When I studied the leaf anatomy of Cyathocalyx (Annonaceae), I found that
>many transparent and rectangular or irregular particles are along the
>veins. But they are neither crystals nor proteins. What are they?
>
>Three images are pasted on the following website
>
>http://web.hku.hk/~rwang/leaf%20structure.htm
>
>Do hope any feedback and any suggestion will be welcome!
>
>Wishes,
>
>Ruijiang Wang
>
>Dept. of Ecology and Biodiversity
>The University of Hong Kong


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