MICROMORPHOLOGY OF JOHNSONGRASS (SORGHUM-HALEPENSE) LEAVES

Adaxial and abaxial epidermal surfaces of johnsongrass leaves were studied to determine which cells contribute to leaf microroughness. Cork-silica cell (CSC) pairs, three types of prickles, macrohairs,, bicellular trichomes, stomata, and ordinary short and long epidermal cells were found and described. CSC pairs made up about 22% of all cells and probably contribute more to microroughness than any other single type because each cork cell produces 11 +/- 3 wax filaments that are up to 100 mu m long. Bicellular trichomes represented 4 to 5% of the total cells but decreased leaf roughness by secreting a type of mucilage that covers microscopic wax crystals. Stomatal complexes comprised 15 to 18% of all cells and contributed to leaf roughness because they are slightly recessed below the leaf surface. Long prickles occur primarily over veins and represent less than 1% of all cells. Small prickles were present primarily on adaxial surfaces and represent only 3% of all cells. Macrohairs were the largest appendages, 237 +/- 104 mu m, but they represent far less than 1% of all cells and occur primarily over veins. Ordinary short cells comprised 6 to 13% of all cells. Long cells were most common (41%) of all cells. Short and long cells contribute to leaf roughness because the surface is often convex. A typical johnsongrass leaf may contain more than 25 million appendages on each surface that increase the roughness already caused by epicuticular wax crystals.