Costus arabicus L. é uma espécie herbácea, nativa de mata, que acumula em seu rizoma amido como principal carboidrato de reserva. A seca é um dos fatores ambientais que pode regular o crescimento e o desenvolvimento das plantas, levando a alterações nas características fisiológicas, bioquímicas e anatômicas. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a influência do déficit hídrico na anatomia, no conteúdo de carboidratos e na ultra-estrutura dos grãos de amido do rizoma de Costus arabicus L. submetidos aos ciclos de rega diário (Controle) e a cada sete (7d) e 15 dias (15d). Foram avaliados aspectos anatômicos e ultra-estruturais do rizoma, conteúdo relativo de água nas folhas (CRA), potencial hídrico foliar (Ψw), potencial osmótico do rizoma (Ψs), açúcares solúveis totais (AST) e redutores (AR) e amido do rizoma. Observaram-se reduções significativas do Ψw e do Ψs nas plantas 15d, porém com pequenas variações no CRA. Análises anatômicas mostraram que o rizoma é revestido pela epiderme ou súber estratificado e apresenta delimitação entre as regiões cortical e vascular que possuem numerosos grãos de amido e idioblastos com conteúdo fenólico. Alterações na anatomia dos rizomas foram observadas somente nas plantas irrigadas a cada 15 dias, em que as células do tecido de revestimento e das camadas corticais mais externas tornaram-se mais achatadas e com paredes sinuosas, porém, sem diferenças ultra-estruturais dos grãos de amido. O déficit hídrico imposto foi suficiente para gerar mudanças fisiológicas, bioquímicas e anatômicas nas plantas de Costus arabicus L. Essas alterações sugerem a ocorrência de um mecanismo de evitação à seca e demonstram que as alterações anatômicas foram dependentes da intensidade e duração do déficit hídrico.

Costus arabicus L. is an herbaceous species, native to the forest that accumulates starch in the rhizome as the main reserve carbohydrate. Water stress is one the most important environmental factor that regulates plant growth and development, leading to changes in physiological, biochemical and anatomical traits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of water deficit on the anatomy, carbohydrate concentration and ultrastructure of starch grains of the rhizome of Costus arabicus L. through the following water regimes: plants irrigated daily and every seven (7d) and 15 days (15d). Anatomical and ultrastructural traits of the rhizome, relative water content in leaves (RWC), leaf water potential (Ψw), osmotic potential of the rhizome (Ψo), total soluble sugars (TSS), reducing sugars (RS) and starch of the rhizome were evaluated. We observed significant reductions in Ψw and Ψs in 15d plants, but with small variations in the RWC. The anatomical analysis showed that the rhizome is covered by epidermis or stratified cork and there is a delimitation between the cortical and vascular regions. We detected the presence of numerous starch grains and idioblasts with phenolic contents in the parenchyma of the two regions. Changes in the anatomy of the rhizomes were only observed in plants irrigated every 15 days, in which cells of covering tissue and the outer cortical layers became more flattened and sinuous walls; however, no ultrastructural differences were observed on the starch grains. The water deficit imposed was sufficient to generate physiological, biochemical and anatomical changes in plants of C. arabicus L. Such alterations suggest the occurence of an avoidance mechanism and that anatomical changes were dependent of the intensity and duration of water deficit.

Estudios anteriores señalaron que la alta riqueza de especies de Leguminosae en fragmentos de bosques afectadas por el fuego podría deberse, al menos parcialmente, a la alta incidencia de brotes de raíz en esta familia. Sin embargo, existen pocos estudios. Investigamos la formación de brotes en tres Leguminosae (Bauhinia forficata Link., Centrolobium tomentosum Guill. ex Benth, e Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd) y una Rutaceae (Esenbeckia febrifuga (St. Hil.) Juss. ex Mart.). Todas estas especies suelen rebrotar después de los incendios. También hicimos cortes experimentales en árboles forestales: Esenbeckia febrifuga e Hymenaea courbaril L. Observamos tres orígenes: cerca del cambium vascular (C. tomentosum), desde el callo (B. forficata y E. febrifuga) y de parénquima (I. laurina). Hymenaea courbaril no respondió a ninguna de las pruebas de inducción, probablemente debido a la edad de la planta. Sin embargo, las raíces de Esenbeckia febrifuga forman retoños tras retirar el tronco o separar sus raíces. Hemos demostrado experimentalmente la capacidad de las cuatro especies de árbol de rebrotar a partir de sus raíces tras una perturbación grave.

Previous studies pointed out that species richness and high density values within the Leguminosae in Brazilian forest fragments affected by fire could be due, at least partially, to the high incidence of root sprouting in this family. However, there are few studies of the factors that induce root sprouting in woody plants after disturbance. We investigated the bud formation on root cuttings, and considered a man-made disturbance that isolates the root from the shoot apical dominance of three Leguminosae (Bauhinia forficata Link., Centrolobium tomentosum Guill. ex Benth, and Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd) and one Rutaceae (Esenbeckia febrifuga (St. Hil.) Juss. ex Mart.). All these species resprout frequently after fire. We also attempted to induce bud formation on root systems by removing the main trunk, girdling or sectioning the shallow lateral roots from forest tree species Esenbeckia febrifuga and Hymenaea courbaril L. We identified the origin of shoot primordia and their early development by fixing the samples in Karnovsky solution, dehydrating in ethyl alcohol series and embedding in plastic resin. Serial sections were cut on a rotary microtome and stained with toluidine blue O. Permanent slides were mounted in synthetic resin. We observed different modes of bud origin on root cuttings: close to the vascular cambium (C. tomentosum), from the callus (B. forficata and E. febrifuga) and from the phloematic parenchyma proliferation (I. laurina). Fragments of B. forficata root bark were also capable of forming reparative buds from healing phellogen formed in callus in the bark’s inner side. In the attempt of bud induction on root systems, Hymenaea courbaril did not respond to any of the induction tests, probably because of plant age. However, Esenbeckia febrifuga roots formed suckers when the main trunk was removed or their roots were sectioned and isolated from the original plant. We experimentally demonstrated the ability of four tree species to resprout from roots after disturbance. Our results suggest that the release of apical dominance enables root resprouting in the studied species. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (3): 789-800. Epub 2009 September 30.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a anatomia dos sistemas subterrâneos de Vernonia grandiflora Less. e V. brevifolia Less. (Vernonieae; Asteraceae), duas geófitas perenes, a fim de esclarecer sua capacidade para brotar em condições de Cerrado. O sistema subterrâneo espessado de V. grandiflora, uma espécie subarbustiva, é constituído pelo xilopódio e por várias raízes tuberosas. O xilopódio possui estrutura mista (radicular e caulinar) e suas gemas são de origem axilar ou se originam a partir da proliferação do parênquima cortical. As raízes tuberosas produzidas por este órgão são adventícias e acumulam frutanos do tipo inulina, principalmente no parênquima cortical. Em V. brevifolia, uma espécie herbácea, o sistema subterrâneo espessado é constituído pela raiz primária cujas gemas são originadas a partir do periciclo proliferado. A ocorrência destes sistemas subterrâneos gemíferos, que armazenam compostos de reserva, permite que estas plantas sobrevivam às condições desfavoráveis do Cerrado, tais como a estação seca e os freqüentes incêndios durante o inverno.

This work dealt with the anatomy of the underground system in Vernonia grandiflora Less. and V. brevifolia Less. (Vernonieae; Asteraceae), two perennial geophytes, to elucidate their ability to sprout in the Brazilian Cerrado conditions. V. grandiflora, a subshrubby species, possessed a thickened underground system constituted by a xylopodium and many tuberous roots. The xylopodium had stem and root structure and its buds were axillary or originated from the cortical parenchyma proliferation. The tuberous roots produced by this organ were adventitious and accumulated inulin-type fructans mainly in the cortical parenchyma. The thickened underground system of V. brevifolia, an herbaceous species, was a tuberous primary root whose buds originated from the proliferated pericycle. The occurrence of these bud-forming underground systems, which stored reserve compounds, enabled these plants to survive throughout unfavourable environmental conditions in the Cerrado, such as dry season and frequent fires in the winter.

Este trabalho teve por objetivo descrever e comparar a morfo-anatomia das folhas adultas de Mikania glomerata Spreng., Porophyllum ruderale Cass. e Vernonia condensata Baker (Asteraceae), que possuem diferentes hábitos, enfatizando suas estruturas secretoras. Secções longitudinais e transversais dos limbos foliares foram analisadas nas regiões do ápice, da base e do terço médio na altura da nervura central, do limbo foliar e da margem. M. glomerata apresentou tricomas glandulares unisseriados e ductos secretores; P. ruderale tinha hidatódios e cavidades secretoras; e V. condensata apresentou idioblastos e tricomas glandulares uni- ou bisseriados.

The objective of this paper was to describe and compare the morphology and anatomy of mature leaves of Mikania glomerata Spreng., Porophyllum ruderale Cass. and Vernonia condensata Baker (Asteraceae) species that have different habits emphasizing their secretory structures. Longitudinal and transversal sections of mature leaf blades of the three species were analyzed at the apex, base, and medium third part of the midvein of the leaf blade and of the margin. M. glomerata had uniseriate glandular trichomes and secretory ducts; P. ruderale had hydathodes and secretory cavities; and V. condensata had idioblasts and uni-and biseriate glandular trichomes.

O efeito do substrato comercial Plantmax®; e sua combinação com solo e areia, foi avaliado de acordo com a resposta biológica de três culturas olerícolas (alface, pepino e pimentão), sendo o experimento conduzido em casa de vegetação na ESALQ/USP em Piracicaba de abril a junho de 1996. Os tratamentos consistiram do substrato comercial Plantmax®; e da mistura deste com areia, com solo, na proporção 1:1 em volume, e mistura dos três, proporção 1:1:1. O substrato Plantmax®; propiciou menor velocidade de emergência para alface e pepino e maior para pimentão. Resultou, também, em maior altura de plântulas nas três diferentes culturas. O menor comprimento de raízes das três olerícolas foi obtido com o substrato Plantmax®; + solo + areia. A maior produção de matéria seca de plântulas e raízes de alface e de pimentão foram obtidas com o substrato Plantmax®;. Por outro lado, a menor produção de matéria seca foi obtida com a mistura dos três componentes para a cultura do pepino. O desempenho obtido nas misturas de Plantmax®; com solo ou com areia, indicam ser uma alternativa técnica viável ao uso de substratos comerciais

The effect of commercial substrate Plantmax®; and it's combination with soil and sand, was evaluated according to the biological response of three vegetable crops (lettuce, cucumber and sweet pepper). The experiment was carried out in plastic tunnels, at ESALQ/USP, Piracicaba-SP, from April to June, 1996. The treatments consisted of the commercial substrate Plantmax®;, the mixture of Plantmax®; with sand, Plantmax®;with soil and the mixture of Plantmax®;with both soil and sand. Lower lettuce and cucumber seedlings emergence and faster sweet pepper seedlings emergence were observed with Plantmax®; substrate. It also resulted in bigger size of seedlings of these three different plant species. Smaller roots of these three species were observed with the mixture of Plantmax®; plus soil plus sand. Higher production of seedling dry matter in lettuce and sweet pepper was obtained with the Plantmax®; substrate. Lower cucumber seedling dry matter production was obtained with the mixture of these three substrates. The performance obtained with the mixture of Plantmax®; with soil or sand, indicates it as a viable alternative to the use of commercial substrate