ASPECTS OF KIWIFRUIT STEM STRUCTURE IN RELATION TO TRANSPORT

Kiwifruit stems have a normal cambial structure.
Phloem has long-lived sieve elements with scalariformly compound sieve plates like those in Vitis. Radial continuity is disrupted by crushing and sclerification of phloem tissues.
Kiwifruit wood is diverse in structure.
Fibre-tracheids are common.
The wood is semi ringporous; perforation plates may be simple, scalariform, reticulate or combinations of these.

Latex paint infusion of 1–2 m lengths of 10-yr-old kiwifruit stems shows that vessels are up to 0.8 m long.
Vessel elements are ca. 0.1 mm long.
Longest and widest vessels occur in early wood of outer growth rings.
Average vessel-length is 14–16 cm.

II International Symposium on Kiwifruit

J.M. Condon

vessel length, phloem, sieve elements, xylem, fibre-tracheids

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1992.297.55