COMPARATIVE MICROSCOPIC STUDIES ON THE PATTERNS OF CALCIUM-OXALATE DISTRIBUTION IN THE NEEDLES OF VARIOUS CONIFER SPECIES

The distribution of calcium oxalate crystals in various conifer needles is visualized by light and electron microscopy. Such crystals occur (1) in the vascular bundle, either intracellularly in the xylem or phloem parenchyma, or extracellularly within the radial phloem walls; (2) extracellularly on the outside of the walls of mesophyll cells which face the intercellular spaces; (3) and finally as numerous small crystals within the cell walls of the epidermal cells, especially in the cuticular layer. The development and distribution of these apoplastic crystals is described in detail. Some hypotheses are finally presented for interpretations of these unusual patterns of the crystallization of Ca-oxalate outside the vacuole. Possible evolutionary aspects of this feature among the different conifer families are also discussed.