A Variation of C(4) Leaf Anatomy in Arundinella hirta (Gramineae).

The species Arundinella hirta L. posseses a striking variation of the leaf anatomy that is characteristic of C(4) grasses. In addition to a sheath of large, bright green cells around the vascular bundles, there are strands of large parenchyma cells which appear identical to the bundle sheath cells and which run parallel to the vascular bundles, but which are not associated with any vascular tissue. This species may be useful for studying the cellular compartmentalization associated with the C(4) pathway and should provide interesting material for determining the role of translocation in the functioning of the C(4) system.