Cross sections in a leaf of Sansevieria cylindrica
Sansevieria cylindrica (Dracaena angolensis) common name bowstring hemp or cylindrical snake plant is native from tropical Africa and is a succulent. It is an evergreen, herbaceous perennial plant in Asparagaceae family. The leaves are cylindrical in shape but narrow to a point at their tips, and they look like swords. They are dark green – grey and they accumulate water (foliar succulence). This plant has become a classical in garden but is also popular as houseplant.
The first section on this page is a vibratome section 80 micron thick stained with astrablue and fuchsin basic. It is characterized by small fiber bundles and vascular bundles distributed in the mesophyll.
The three photographs below illustrate parts of a paraffin section stained with astrablue fuchsin basic. The first ones shows cells of the parenchyma with chloroplasts stained red (arrow) and the epidermis (ep) with stoma and the cuticle stained pink, n:nucleus; star : sub-stomatal chamber.
Below a colateral vascular bundle in the paraffin section with : large fiber caps (f) stained pink with thick walls covering the phloem (phl) with small compagnion cells. Then there are xylem vessels (x) located towards the center of the organ. The superposition of xylem and phloem is characteristic of stem and leaf.
Below high magnification picture of a part of the paraffin section showing a fiber bundle with lignified, thick wall stained pink.
