Abstract Allagoptera campestris is an acaulescent, rhizomatous palm tree that occurs in grassland and savanna areas (Cerrado). In the Santa Bárbara Ecological Station (Águas de Santa Bárbara, São Paulo, Brazil) the species is found growing in three distinct conditions: 1) in the understory of Pinus species plantations introduced in the 1970s in formerly open savanna, 2) in an area where Pinus species cultivated in the 1970s were later removed and the remaining material burned, and 3) in an open, undisturbed savanna area without the interference of pines. Anatomical studies carried out with A. campestris leaves collected in the same three areas indicated leaf plasticity in response to growth conditions. To verify whether there are differences in vessel element morphology in belowground organs, light, and scanning electron microscopy analyses were conducted on portions just below the crown, in the middle of the rhizome, and the median portions of three longer adventitious roots sampled from three plants in each area. The study reveals significant variations in vessel element characteristics of A. campestris, with roots consistently displaying longer and larger elements than rhizomes, and environmental conditions, especially in pine understory, influence vessel dimensions, and hydraulic conductivity in a negative manner. acaulescent Cerrado. Cerrado . (Cerrado) Águas Paulo Brazil conditions 1 s 2 burned 3 pines A organs light crown rhizome rhizomes dimensions manner (Cerrado

Elementos de vasos em monocotiledôneas apresentam diferenças morfológicas de acordo com o órgão onde ocorrem. Tais diferenças têm sido explicadas sobretudo de um ponto de vista evolutivo, com poucos dados acerca de como a função de um órgão ou o hábito de crescimento de uma planta influenciariam na morfologia dos elementos de vaso. Para responder tal pergunta, foram analisados os órgãos vegetativos de três palmeiras do mesmo gênero, Syagrus, crescendo em ambientes similares, mas com hábitos diferentes. Assim, buscamos detectar se os elementos de vaso apresentariam características similares em todas as espécies ou se mudariam de acordo com os diferentes hábitos. Tanto a largura quanto o tipo de placa de perfuração variaram de maneira semelhante em todas as espécies, ao passo que os comprimentos variaram de uma forma inédita. Primeiramente, todas as espécies apresentaram elementos de vaso nas raízes tão ou mais longos que aqueles dos caules e folhas. Além disso, os elementos de vaso dos caules variaram consideravelmente entre as espécies. Especifi camente, em Syagrus romanzoffi ana os elementos de vaso apresentaram igual comprimento em todos os órgãos, enquanto tanto Syagrus fl exuosa quanto Syagrus petraea, vaso mais curtos foram encontrados nos caules. Provavelmente os elementos de vaso das raízes de palmeiras estão envolvidos na criação de altos potenciais hídricos necessários para evitar embolia no caule. O dimorfismo dos vasos no caule possivelmente reflete os hábitos diferentes destas espécies. Caules de maiores dimensões, como os de palmeiras arbóreas, apresentam elementos de vaso mais longos que aqueles de caules subterrâneos. Com base nos resultados anatômicos aqui expostos, sugerimos que as diferenças encontradas nos elementos de vaso da raiz, caule e folha teriam evoluído não só devido a pressões filogenéticas e ecológicas, mas também devido a especificidades inerentes aos diferentes hábitos de crescimento presentes nas plantas.

Vessel elements in Monocotyledons present morphological differences according to the organ where they occur. Usually such diff erences have been explained from an evolutionary perspective, with few data on how the vessel elements could be infl uenced by the diff erent functions of organs and the growth habits of the plants. To address this question, three vegetative organs of palms of the same genus, Syagrus, growing in similar environments, but with different habits, were analyzed. Accordingly, we aimed to detect whether the vessel elements would present similar features in all species or whether the vessel elements would change according to their different habits. We found that the width and type of perforation plates varied in the same way among all species, while the lengths varied in an unusual form. First, all species presented very long elements in the roots, either as long, or longer than those of the stems and leaves. Second, the vessel elements of the stems varied considerably among the species. Specifi cally, in Syagrus romanzoffi ana, vessel elements of the stem were equal in size to those of the other organs, while in both Syagrus fl exuosa and Syagrus petraea, shorter vessel elements were found in the stems. We surmise that vessel elements in palm roots may be related to the high pressure-potential required to avoid stem embolism. The dimorphism of the vessel elements in the stems most likely reflects the distinct habits of these species. Large stems, such as of those of the arboreal palms, presented much longer vessels than those of subterranean stems. Based on these anatomical findings, we suggest that the diff erences found among the vessel elements of roots, stem, and leaves may have evolved in response not only to phylogenetic and ecological constraints, but also to specificities derived from the different plant habits.