Annals of Botany 64, 201-203, 1989 201

Histochemistry and Senescence of Colleters of

Allamanda cathartica (Apocynaceae)
VINOTH THOMAS and YASH DAVE*
Department of Biosciences, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat 388 120, India

Accepted: 6 March 1989

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ABSTRACT
Allamanda have colleters on the adaxial bases of petiole, bracts and bracteoles. Each colleter is finger
shaped, differentiated into a long head on a short stalk. Vasculature to the colleter is absent but branched
laticifers are present among the central cells. Secretion of the colleter contains glucose and rhamnose. The
major elements present in the exudate are Na, Fe and Zn. Starch, protein and lipids were identified, with
lipids the major component. Petiolar colleters are persistent and become stiff due to the lignification
occurring in the walls of epithelial and central cells. Because of over-lignification in the central cells, the
cell lumen is highly reduced.

Key words: Allamanda, colleter, laticifer, secretion, senescence.

Phloroglucinol-HCl (Jensen, 1962) for starch,

INTRODUCTION
protein, lipid and lignified cells, respectively. Thin
Structural and developmental aspects of colleters layer chromatography of the freshly harvested
of Allamanda have been studied by Ramayya and exudate was performed for sugars. Secretion of the
Bahadur (1968) and Fjell (1983), but nothing is colleter dissolved in 80% ethyl alcohol was
mentioned about the senescence and histo- centrifuged at 3000 r.m.p. for 30 min and the
chemistry of colleters. According to Esau (1979) supernatant was concentrated at 40-50 °C. TLC
colleters withered off after ceasing its protective was carried out on Silica Gel plates using the
function to the meristem by secreting a viscous solvents n-butanol, acetic acid, water: 4, 1,5, v/v;
fluid. We observed in several members of the and 8, 8, 2, v/v for sugars and for amino acids,
Apocynaceae that the petiolar colleters are per- respectively. Aniline diphenyl amino reagent was
sistent on the stem even after shedding the leaf. sprayed for the detection of sugars, and the
Colleters present on the calyx are also persistent ninhydrin test (Plummer, 1982) was performed for
on the fruit base. Recently Thomas et al. (1988) aminoacids. Elemental constitution of the sec-
revealed the histochemistry and senescence of retion was detected by Energy Dispersive Analysis
colleters of Roupelia. The present paper describes of X-rays (EDAX), an attachment to a Philips 400
the histochemistry and senescence of colleters of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope.
Allamanda cathartica.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Allamanda have colleters on the petiole, bract and
Materials of Allamanda cathartica L. were collected bracteole. There are four to six colleters present on
from University Botanical Garden over a period the adaxial base of the petiole and each measures
of 8 weeks, fixed in FAA and processed for 650 fim in length and 250 /<m in diameter. Nu-
paraffin sectioning (Johansen, 1940). Serial sec- merous unicellular petiolar hairs are present in
tiqhs of 6-8 /tm thickness were cut and stained between the colleters.
with Safranin O-Fast green FCF for general Ramayya and Bhadur (1968), Williams et al.
observation. The following histochemical stains (1982), Mueller (1985), Dave et al. (1987) and
were used; PAS (Jensen, 1962), CBB (Eklavya, Thomas et al. (1988) have emphasized the pro-
1979), Oil red O (Lillie and Fullmer, 1976), tective function of colleters in the family Apocyn-
aceae. When young, colleters are pale yellowish
* For correspondence. and very active, i.e. they secrete a colourless

0305-7364/89/080201 +03 $03.00/0 © 1989 Annals of Botany Company

 Thomas and Dave—Colleter Structure o/Allamanda

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FIG. 1 A, Longitudinal section of a mature colleter with branched laticifer (arrow). EP, Epithelial cell; CC, central cell,
x 192. B, Tannin content present in the epithelial cell (EP). CC, Central cells, x 230. C, A paradermal section of an
epithelial cell showing gap in between (arrows), x 612. D, Presence of starch grains in the epithelial cells, x 768. E,
Epithelial cells show abundant lipid globules, x 580. F, Persistent colleters (arrow head) on the stem (ST). LS, Leaf
scar, x 22. G, Deeply stained spherical bodies (at arrow head) present in the epithelial cells, x 320. H, Lignified
central cells under phase contrast microscope, x 945. I, Phase photomicrograph of crystals in the central cells. (Note
the thickened epithelial cells.) x 200. J, Transection of stalk shows lignified cells in the outer region (arrow), x 160.
 Thomas and Dave—Colleter Structure of Allamanda 203

viscous fluid that covers the entire meristem. Later Allamanda colleter shows similarity with the
the colourless dried exudate can be seen on colleters of Nerium, Roupelia and Alstonia. Both
unfolded leaves. Different sugars have been identi- the radial and tangential walls of epithelial cells
fied in the secretion of different genera, e.g. only are highly lignified. Lignification of the central cell
rhamnose is present in both Aganosoma (Dave walls can be seen first in the cells just below the
et al., 1987) and in Roupelia (Thomas et al., 1988); epithelial cells, and later towards the inner deeper
both glucose and rhamnose in Allamanda (present cells. Most of the central cells in the outer region
study); and in addition a third sugar, arabinose in have a small lumen due to high lignification (Fig.
Nerium (unpublished data). Amino acids were not 1 G, H). Central cells possess numerous scattered
identified in any of these genera. Again the major druses of crystals (Fig. 11). The stalk of the colleter
elements in these secretions are not always the also shows lignification at the periphery (Fig. 1J).
same. In Allamanda, the major elements are Na

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(25%), Fe (14%) and Zn (13%) while in Alstonia
(Thomas and Dave 1989), Zn (16%) and Cu ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(15%).
The authors are thankful to the University Grants
Internally the colleter consists of a central core
Commission, New Delhi for financial assistance.
of vertically elongated cells which are surrounded
We also acknowledge the help given by Mr S. S.
by radially elongated epithelial cells, covered
Patel for the use of EDAX.
externally with thin cuticle (Fig. 1 A). Finger-
shaped colleters are differentiated with small stalks
and large heads. Towards the basal portion of the
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