The structure of the epiphyllous appendages of Begonia hispida var. cucullifera

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Abstract
The upper side of the leaves of Begonia hispida Schott. var. cucullifera Irmsch. Bears appendages that may be classified as hair-like and leaf-like appendages. In addition, trichomes occur. Externally, the two classes of epiphyllous appendages and the trichomes are continuous. Anatomically, a discontinuity exists between the trichomes and the most hair-like appendages. The former lack vascular tissue and other tissues such as chlorenchyma, a hypodermis, and typical epidermis. The hair-like appendages, the leaf-like appendages, and the intermediates between them share the following common element of construction: they terminate in an attenuation at whose base a hump is situated. A vascular bundle supplies this hump and ends in two hydathodes. The smallest hair-like appendages consist only of one attenuation-hump element. In the leaf-like appendages the tip as well as each tooth ends in an attenuation-hump element. The same applies to the main leaves, i.e. the teeth of the main leaves are built in a similar fashion. The anatomy of the epiphyllous appendages, especially the leaf-like appendages, is strikingly similar to that of the main leaf. The leaf-like appendages as well as the main leaves have an upper epidermis with a large-celled hypodermis, palisade and spongy tissue, a lower hypodermis, and epidermis with stomata.

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