Analysis of the anatomical structure of annual branches of female and male Diospyros lotus L. plants
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Abstract
Diospyros lotus L. (Ebenaceae) is commonly utilized as persimmon rootstock in agricultural production. But D. lotus make it challenging to distinguish between male and female plants at the seedling stage. Thus, studying the anatomical structure of both genders can facilitate early gender identification, which is useful for resource protection and utilization. The annual branches of female and male D. lotus plants were utilized as test materials, with paraffin sectioning technology employed for specimen. Microscope observation was then used to analyze the anatomical structures of the tissues in the annual branches. The test results indicated no significant differences in panel length, branching rate, xylem area, conduit area, conduit density, ratio of conduit area to xylem area, sieve tube area, sieve tube density and the ratio of xylem, phloem and medulla. However, slight differences in the xylem and phloem structure were observed between male and female plants. Specifically, female plants had a higher conduits density and conduits area compared to male plants, while male plants exhibited more obvious phloem rays in their annual branches. In this study, we compared the anatomical structures of annual branches of both female and male D. lotus plants. Overall, we found that both conduits and phloem rays can serve as indicators for early gender identification in D. lotus. These results lay the groundwork for the selection and utilization of superior individual plants for practical cultivation.