Vascular Cambium

The cambium has been variously defined as follows: "The actively dividing layer of cells that lies between, and gives rise to, secondary xylem and phloem (vascular cambium)" (IAWA 1964); "A meristem with products of periclinal divisions commonly contributed in two directions and arranged in radial files. Term pre ferably applied only to the two lateral meristems, the vascular cambium and cork cambium, or phellogen" (Esau 1977); and, "Lateral meristem in vascular plants which produces secondary xylem, secondary phloem, and parenchyma, usually in radial rows; it consists of one layer of initials and their undifferentiated deriva tives" (Little and Jones 1980). Clearly, the cambium is a diverse and extensive meristem, and no one defini tion will encompass all manifestations of what anatomists consider cambium. Its diversity and extent are further exemplified by a single plant, such as a temperate zone tree, in which procambium is initiated in the embryo and perpetuated throughout every lateral, primary meristem before giving rise to cambium in the secondary body. The cambium thereafter performs its meristematic task of producing daughter cells that differentiate to specialized tissue systems. The cam bium, however, does not remain static. Its derivatives vary either in form, or TImc tion, or rate of production at different positions on the tree, with age of the tree, and with season of the year. Moreover, the cambium responds both to internal sig nals and to external stimuli such as environment or wounding.

The vascular cambium, a lateral meristem responsible for the radical growth of woody plants, has long been a subject for active research in both temperate and tropical regions. This work provides comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the vascular cambium and represents an up-to-date review of the knowledge accumulated over the last twenty years. Chapters cover origin and development of cambial cells, phenomena of orientation in the cambium, seasonal and environmental influences on cambial activity. There is also a discussion of the evolution of the cambium in geologic time.

The purpose of this book is to gather together what is known of the morphology, development, activity, and physiological control of the cambium and to provide for each topic a comprehensive but select bibliography including important original sources. The scope of the book includes the production of cells within the cambium, but their differentiation into secondary vascular tissue is considered only in so far as it relates to events within the cambium. -- taken from Preface

This revision of the now classic Plant Anatomy offers a completely updated review of the structure, function, and development of meristems, cells, and tissues of the plant body. The text follows a logical structure-based organization. Beginning with a general overview, chapters then cover the protoplast, cell wall, and meristems, through to phloem, periderm, and secretory structures. "There are few more iconic texts in botany than Esau’s Plant Anatomy... this 3rd edition is a very worthy successor to previous editions..." ANNALS OF BOTANY, June 2007

A plant anatomy textbook unlike any other on the market today. Carol A. Peterson described the first edition as 'the best book on the subject of plant anatomy since the texts of Esau'. Traditional plant anatomy texts include primarily descriptive aspects of structure, this book not only provides a comprehensive coverage of plant structure, but also introduces aspects of the mechanisms of development, especially the genetic and hormonal controls, and the roles of plasmodesmata and the cytoskeleton. The evolution of plant structure and the relationship between structure and function are also discussed throughout. Includes extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter. It provides students with an introduction to many of the exciting, contemporary areas at the forefront of research in the development of plant structure and prepares them for future roles in teaching and research in plant anatomy.

Plant Science, like the biological sciences in general, has undergone seismic shifts in the last thirty or so years. Of course science is always changing and metamorphosing, but these shifts have meant that modern plant science has moved away from its previous more agricultural and botanical context, to become a core biological discipline in its own right. However the sheer amount of information that is accumulating about plant science, and the difficulty of grasping it all, understanding it and evaluating it intelligently, has never been harder for the new generation of plant scientists or, for that matter, established scientists. And that is precisely why this Handbook of Plant Science has been put together. Discover modern, molecular plant sciences as they link traditional disciplines! Derived from the acclaimed Encyclopedia of Life Sciences! Thorough reference of up-to-the minute, reliable, self-contained, peer-reviewed articles – cross-referenced throughout! Contains 255 articles and 48 full-colour pages, written by top scientists in each field! The Handbook of Plant Science is an authoritative source of up-to-date, practical information for all teachers, students and researchers working in the field of plant science, botany, plant biotechnology, agriculture and horticulture.

This easy-to-follow, full-colour guide was created for instructors teaching plant structure at the high school, college, and university levels. It benefits from the experience of the authors, who in teaching plant anatomy over many years, came to realize that students learn best by preparing their own microscope slides from fresh plant samples. The exercises contained in this book have been tested, require minimal supplies and equipment, and use plants that are readily available. Detailed instructions are given for sectioning and staining of plant material. The book contains a glossary of terms, an index, and a list of suppliers of materials required. A CD-ROM of all the illustrations is included for easy downloading into PowerPoint presentations. "Although a number of new plant anatomy texts have been published in recent years, none is as innovative, exciting and user-friendly as "Teaching Plant Anatomy Through Creative Laboratory Exercises" by Peterson, Peterson and Melville. What makes this book so usable from high school biology courses on through to upper level university plant structure labs is the wealth of experience that the authors have incorporated into this comprehensive clearly illustrated text. Using mostly photomicrographs of hand sections and wonderfully clear colour illustrations, they cover all aspects of plant structure from organelles to organs. The book also outlines some easy to use techniques, such as hand sections and clearings and macerations, which will certainly be very useful for any plant related lab. This book really does bring plant anatomy to life and will be a must for any course that deals with plant structure even if it's just to prepare plant material for molecular techniques. An excellent contribution to any botanical teaching where you want your students to get a hands-on approach to the subject."... Dr. Usher Posluszny, University of Guelph