Cellular Growth 



129 



sociated subsidiary components. Independently, several investigations 

 have shown that colchicine interferes with this differentiating pro- 

 cess."^ These stomatal anomalies, brought into tocus by reports from 

 such cases as pollen tube walls, root hairs, algal and fungal cell walls, 

 as well as other differentiating cells, afford added evidence that colchi- 

 cine acts in some way upon cells that are differentiating. This is the 

 first time that so many diverse instances of the action of colchicine 

 have been brought together under one discussion. These problems 

 deserve attention. AVc have not exhausted the list of instances that 

 may ha\e further bearing on this aspect. 



7.5-2; Gross anatomical variatiojis. When the outer layer of cells, 

 the epidermis, has a different number of chromosomes from those of 

 cells deeper in the leaf, some distortions become evident. These cases 

 are ^\ell documented and belong to problems in polvploidy. Less 

 kno^\•n and understood are the cases that cannot be readily exjilained 

 by chromosomal nmnbers.i'^-^ \ few of these instances are described 



liere. 



Ne^v shoots of Li gust rum arose after treatment with colchicine.^- 

 The lea\es ^vere darker green, appeared to be thicker, and answered 

 the description of an induced polyploid. These characters were trans- 

 ferred several times by vegetative jMopagation. The chromosomal 

 numbers did not correlate with these differences. 



HK< 



B 



Fig. 4.8— The end walls of Cladophora with extra depositions in treated cases, B, com- 

 pared with control, A. (After Gorter) 



