Development of the Fibrous Net in the Fruit of Various Races of Luffa cylindrica

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Abstract
The development of the fibrous network is described for a number of races of L. cylindrica, the "vegetable sponge." The strands begin to differentiate when the ovary primordium is about 1 mm. wide, and new ones continue to form until cell division ceases. A complex anastomosing network is produced. The first indication of the appearance of a new strand is the increase in protoplasmic content of a row of parenchyma cells. These then divide parallel to the axis of the future strand but with no necessary relation to the shape of the mother cells or to the pattern of the ground tissue. The cells thus formed develop into the fibers. They elongate as the surrounding parenchyma grows but continue to grow intrusively, chiefly at their tips, for some time after fruit growth ceases. Most strands consist chiefly of fibers, but there are a few phloem elements in the middle of each and often one or more xylem cells. The strand is a modified vascular bundle. Fibers range in length from very short ones to about 3800[mu], being on the average 1500-2000[mu] long. Many are branched or have irregular shapes. They are difficult to separate by maceration. The various races differ considerably in the development of the fibrous net, in the diameter and spacing of its strands, and in the length and character of the fibers.

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