THE ABSORPTIVE CAPACITIES OF BROMELIAD TRICHOMES

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Abstract
Tritiated glycine and leucine and microautoradiographic techniques were employed to determine whether various bromeliad species produce foliar trichomes capable of absorbing these two solutes from solutions placed on intact leaf surfaces. All trichomes borne by members of subfamily Tillandsioideae, whether on the leaf blade or sheath, accumulated both amino acids in substantial quantities. Trichomes located on the leaf sheaths of tank‐forming members of Bromelioideae absorbed much smaller quantities while trichomes located on the blades of the same tank‐producing bromelioids, as well as those of nontank‐forming members of Pitcairnioideae and Bromelioideae, took up little or none at all. The evolution of the bromeliad trichome is considered in the light of these results.
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation