Rhizomes Hidden Stems with Unknown Diversity

About this book

A comprehensive reference on the characteristics of rhizomes, stems growing roughly horizontally below ground level, important for perennial and hard-to-control weeds and for the propagation of some commercially important crops.

Rhizomes describes and compares rhizomes, classifies them based on their features, and presents their ecological and commercial importance.

The book is divided into seven parts. After a short introduction, Part I discusses the evolution of rhizomes and their function as organs. Part II provides an introduction to rhizomes of basal tracheophytes, formerly called pteridophytes, now referred to as Lycopodiopsida and Polypodiopsida or lycophytes and ferns. Part III covers monocot rhizomes with a focus on the high diversity of rhizomes found in monocots. Part IV focuses on dicot rhizomes and their morphological diversity. Part V explores the ecological and commercial importance of rhizomes, with special information on crops and weeds with rhizomes. Lastly, findings on rhizomes in different plant groups are compared, and conclusions on the development and diversification of rhizome characters are presented.

Written by two highly qualified authors with significant research experience in the field, Rhizomes covers topics such as:
- Difficulty in making a clear distinction between rhizomes, runners, and stolons and inner cortex cells of rhizomes differing in sheath modifications
- Different types of species with stem-borne roots, including dicot representatives with roots arising from the hypocotyl and plants with roots at nodes, internodes, and buds
- Molecular genetics research analysing molecular mechanisms and signalling processes leading to stolon and rhizome initiation and development
- Rhizome-producing species forming either large colonies or genetically identical groups, with advantages and disadvantages of each

With English literature on rhizomes being relatively sparse, Rhizomes is a unique and highly comprehensive reference on these types of stems, ideal for agronomists, botanists, horticulturists, breeders, ecologists, and weed scientists seeking to understand their important role in agriculture and food.

Contents

Preface   ix
Acknowledgements   xi

Part I: Introduction   1
1. Introduction   3
2. Evolution of Rhizomes and Their Distinction from Similar Plant Organs   11

Part II: Rhizomes of Lycopodiopsida and Polypodiopsida   19
3. Diversity in Rhizomes of Lycopodiopsida and Polypodiopsida   21

Part III: Monocot Rhizomes   57
4. Morphological Diversity in Monocot Rhizomes   59
5. Histological Characterization of Monocot Rhizomes   63
6. Nodes of Monocot Rhizomes   93
7. Monocot Rhizome Development and Tissue-Specific Gene Expression   99
8. Selected, Groupwise Description of Rhizomes   103
9. Summarizing View on Monocot Rhizomes   203

Part IV: Eudicot, ANA Grade and Magnoliid Rhizomes  209
10. Morphological Diversity in Eudicot Rhizomes   211
11. Histological Characterization of Eudicot Rhizomes   217
12. Nodes of Eudicot Rhizomes   229
13. Eudicot, ANA Grade and Magnoliid Rhizome Development and Tissue-Specific Gene Expression   233
14. Selected, Groupwise Description of Eudicot Rhizomes   249
15. Selected, Groupwise Description of Magnoliid and ANA Grade Rhizomes   333
16. Summarizing View on Eudicot, ANA Grade and Magnoliid Rhizomes   363

Part V: Ecological and Commercial Importance of Rhizomes   367
17. Agricultural Crops with Rhizomes   369
18. Rhizomatous Weeds   373
19. Clone Formation in Rhizomatous Plants   377

Part VI: Comparative Synopsis of Rhizome Characteristics   379
20. Differences Between Rhizomes of Different Tracheophyta   381
21. Phylogenetic Relevance of Rhizome Characters   383

Part VII: Final Discussion and Conclusions   393
22. Final Discussion, Conclusions and Outlook   395

References   399
Index   401

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Biography

Hansjörg Krähmer, Past President of the European Weed Research Society and currently based at Bayer AG, Frankfurt, Germany. Dr. Krähmer is a known scientist studying weed plants, crop science, and vegetative anatomy and morphology.

Linnea Hesse, Professor, Wood Sciences and Biomimetics, Institute of Wood Science, University of Hamburg, Germany.