Structural polysaccharides in leaf blades and sheaths in the Arundinoid grass Chionochloa

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Abstract
Levels of cellulose and hemicellulose were measured in standard leaf samples from four species of Chionochloa (C. flavescens, C. macra, C. rigida, C. rubra) after both acid hydrolysis and alkali fractionation. Characteristic ranges of 24–26% hemicellulose and 30–32% cellulose in the leaf samples were obtained. Chionochloa macra cellulose (26%) and C. flavescens hemicellulose (22%) were clearly below these values. Analysis of successive lengths of mature leaf blades from the four species showed little variation in cellulose over the entire length but some gradation in hemicellulose. Basal sheaths of the four species showed low levels of cellulose compared with the leaves and consequently a higher proportion of hemicellulose relative to cellulose compared with the leaves. Leaf and sheath hemicellulose was fractionated into hemicellulose-A and -B under carefully controlled conditions. Sheath hemicellulose contained a higher proportion of hemicellulose-B than leaf hemicellulose.