Cyphostemma juttae DESC.

CYPHOSTEMMA JUTTAE (DINTER & GILG) DESC.

Stem cortex has raphide crystals that occur as idioblasts or in small groups (two to four) of cells. Wood is parenchymatous. Axial matrix is formed by vasicentric paratracheal parenchyma with no visible fibers and small clusters of two to four vessels. Rays are multiseriate. Ray cells have abundant starch grains (Fig. 4D ). There is a certain degree of parenchyma cell proliferation in both systems. The secondary phloem rays are wide. Pith has raphide cells.

Caudex cortex has raphide cells that are found mainly as idioblasts near the stele. Wood is parenchymatous (Fig. 4E). Axial matrix is formed by confluent vasicentric parenchyma cells, scalariform vessels mostly solitary or in clusters of two to four cells, and no visible fibers. In the innermost wood, proliferation of vasicentric parenchyma becomes exceptionally larger (diameter of about 607 µm) compared with other paratracheal parenchyma (diameter of about 164 µm), (Fig. 4F). The enlargement of the paratracheal cells varies from vessel to vessel. Rays are multiseriate. Ray parenchyma cells have abundant amyloplasts especially in areas close to vessels, whereas its abundance diminishes toward the center of the rays and near the pith. Axial and ray parenchyma systems are extremely similar, giving an appearance of a continuous ground tissue of parenchymatous wood. There is collapsed phloem in each bundle. Pith has raphide cells as idioblasts.