Calcium and silica biomineralizations in leaves of eleven aquatic species of the Pampean Plain, Argentina

BORRELLI, NATALIA; FERNÁNDEZ HONAINE, MARIANA; ALTAMIRANO, STELLA MARIS; OSTERRIETH, MARGARITA

AQUATIC BOTANY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2011 vol. 94 p. 29 - 36

0304-3770

Calcium oxalate cristal and silicophytolith assemblages were investigated in leaves of eleven aquatic species from habitats of the Argentinean Pampean Plain. Calcium oxalate druses and raphide bundles mainly occurred in leaf parenchyma and aerenchyma. Druses were observed in Alternanthera philoxeroides, Ludwigia peploides, Polygonum hydropiperoides and Rumex crispus; andraphidebundlesin L. peploides and Typha latifolia. Nocalciumoxalatecrystalswereobservedin Bidens laevis, Mikania parodii, Solanum glaucophyllum, Ranunculus apiifolius or theJuncaceae family. Druse density ranged between 14.62±3.09 (R. crispus) to39.6±7.2 crystalsmm−2 (P. hydropiperoides), and raphide bundle density ranged between7.55±1.36 (L. peploides) to20.55±5.19 crystalsmm−2 (T. latifolia). Silicification mainly occurred in epidermal cells and xylem. Juncus spp., S. glaucophyllum, B. laevis, M. parodii and R. apiifolius produced abundant and diverse phytolith morphotypes.The rest of the species produced very few (L. peploides, P. hydropiperoides, A. philoxeroides) or no identifiable phytoliths (T. latifolia, R. crispus). Silica content ranged from 0.07(T. latifolia) to 4.7% dry weight (S. glaucophyllum).