Morphogenesis of Aerial and Subterranean Roots of Monstera deliciosa

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Abstract
Three types of roots are found in M. deliciosa: aerial roots, aerial roots that have entered the soil (aerial-subterranean roots), and lateral roots that form on aerial-subterranean roots (lateral-subterranean roots). The 3 root types differed in anatomical development and in growth. Aerial roots had the greatest elongation rate and greatest elongation zone. The accelerated elongation rate of aerial roots was correlated with an elongation zone that enlarged with time. The elongation rates and zonation of aerial-subterranean and lateral-subterranean roots remained approximately constant with time. This difference in growth was correlated with the initiation and maturation of certain cell types and tissues and with quantitative differences in the numbers of cortical idioblasts. In aerial roots, trichosclereid development and storied cork initiation occurred at a distance much further from the apex than they did in lateral-subterranean roots. Aerial and lateral-subterranean roots also differed quantitatively in the size of their quiescent centers and steles. Aerial roots contained a greater number of raphide crystal cells per unit volume of cortex than lateral-subterranean and aerial-subterranean roots, although the 2 types of subterranean roots contained a relatively greater number of trichsclereids per unit volume of cortex than did aerial roots.