SHOCKEY, KARA M.*, HARRY T. HORNER, and JONATHAN F. WENDEL. Department of Botany, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011. - Calcium oxalate crystals in the tribe Gossypieae and the genus Gossypium (cotton).
Calcium oxalate crystals are common in leaves and other tissues
throughout the angiosperms. The morphology and distribution of
crystals vary widely among genera and often between closely related
species. These traits have been shown to be systematically relevant in
some cases. Phylogenetic relationships among members of the cotton
genus and tribe are reasonably well understood, providing a context
for evaluating evolution of leaf crystal patterns in the group. An
anatomical study was undertaken, using leaf clearings, to characterize
the type, morphology and patterns of the crystals. Patterns of crystal
distribution and morphology are compared among taxa and are evaluated
with respect to phylogeny and biogeography.
Key words: calcium oxalate crystals, cotton, Gossypium, leaf anatomy