Early silicification of leaves and roots of seedlings of a panicoid grass grown under different conditions: anatomical relations and structural role.

Grasses accumulate high amounts of silica deposits in tissues of all their organs, especially at mature stage. However, when and under which conditions do grass seedlings begin to produce these silica deposits and their relation with anatomy and development is little known. Here we investigated the silicification process in the first leaves and roots of seedlings of Bothriochloa laguroides grown in different substrate and Si treatments. The distribution and content of silica deposits in the organs of the seedlings grown under different conditions were analyzed through staining techniques and SEM-EDAX analyses. Leaf silica deposits were accumulated 3-4 days after the first leaf emergence, also under low silica solution (0.17-0.2 mM). Their location was mainly restricted to short costal cells from basal sectors, and scarcely in trichomes and xylem at tips. Silica content in leaves increased with the age of the seedlings. Roots presented dome-shaped silica aggregates, between 4-12 µm of diameter, located in the inner tangential wall of endodermal cells and similar to those produced at maturity. Silicification begins early in the first photosynthetic leaf, and silica distribution is opposite to that found in mature plants, mainly restricted to basal sectors, probably acting as a reinforcing element. The fast incorporation of solid amorphous silica in leaves and roots, may be useful for farm applications in species that are Si-fertilized.

Silicification of the adaxial epidermis of leaves of a panicoid grass in relation to leaf position and section and environmental conditions.

Many studies relate silica content in plants with internal or external factors; however, few works analyse the effect of these factors on the silicification of different cell types. In this study, we examined the effect of leaf section and leaf position, and environmental conditions on the percentages of silicified epidermal cells of a native Pampean panicoid grass, Bothriochloa laguroides D. C. Pilger. Two different environmental situations were selected for the collection of plants: a natural wetland and a quartzite quarry, located in the southeast Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Clarification and staining methodologies were applied so as to study the distribution of silicified cells in different sections of leaves of the plants collected. Two and three-factor anovas were applied to the data. Between 13% and 19% of total cells of the adaxial epidermis of leaf blades were silicified. Typical silica short cells were the largest contributor to total silicified cells (53-98%), while the second largest contributor was bulliform cells (0-30%). Percentages of total silicified cells were higher in superior than in inferior leaves, while values from leaf sections varied. When collection sites were compared, plants growing in Los Padres pond, where the silica content in soils is higher, had the higher percentage of silicified cells. Among all types of cell, bulliform cells showed differences in the proportion of silicified cells between leaf position and section and collection site. These results show that silica availability in soils is an important factor that conditions silica accumulation and overlaps with the transpiration effect.