Electron Microscope Studies on Plastid Development in Variegated Leaves of Liriope platyphylla f. variegata hort

Abstract

The development of plastids in the white (albicate) tissue of variegated leaves of L. platyphylla f. variegata was compared with that of normal green plastids from the same leaf. The albicate proplastid in its earliest developmental stage is amyloplastic in nature and essentially similar to plastids of normal green tissue. During the course of proplastid development, a pro-lamellar body is formed composed of numerous small vesicles or tubules. The vesicles are arranged irregularly; there is no definite crystal lattice-like arrangement such as one finds in normal plastids. Lamellae are formed by coalescence of the vesicles of the prolamellar body. In the albicate plastid the formation of lamellae is always subnormal, and ceases at a relatively early stage of development. The weak development of lamellae seems to be correlated with the irregular arrangement of the vesicles in the prolamellar body.