If you look at plant tissue under a microscope many of the cells will look similar but, among the masses, some individuals will stick out. These cells are often idioblasts and can act as warehouses for producing and storing specific compounds. But confusingly not all idioblasts work alone. Rodrigues and colleagues have studied Peltaea polymorpha, a pinkish flower found in the Cerrado, the Brazilian savanna. The plant’s idioblasts form interconnected networks. These networks could explain how the plant has adapted to dry environments.
The key to these networks lies in how the cells connect. Rather than working alone, the idioblasts in Peltaea polymorpha link together in chains to produce and distribute mucilage – a gel-like substance that helps protect plants from drought stress. These chains form through unusual wall structures riddled with tiny pores. Living strands of cellular material stretch through these pores, connecting each cell to its neighbours. This inter-cellular highway may help distribute mucilage through the plant.
Researchers sliced stems and leaves from plants at different growth stages into thin sections to study under microscopes. Simple light microscopes revealed how the cells were arranged, while more powerful electron microscopes showed intricate details of cell structure and the connections linking them together. By studying samples ranging from young shoots to mature stems, Rodrigues and colleagues watched the network develop throughout the plant. Special staining techniques highlighted which cells produced mucilage and traced its movement through the interconnected system.
The Cerrado challenges plants with its harsh mix of seasonal drought, poor soils and frequent fires. Finding these connected cell networks in Peltaea polymorpha suggests a solution – plants can evolve strategies for coping with tough environments. This hints at a world of undiscovered adaptations waiting to be found in plants that thrive in difficult places.
Rodrigues, T.M., de Almeida, A.R., de Nicolai, J., dos Santos, I.S. & Machado, S.R. 2025. Interconnected idioblasts in Peltaea polymorpha: a novel component of the mucilage-secretory apparatus in Malvaceae. AoB PLANTS, 17, plae063. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plae063
Cross-posted to Bluesky & Mastodon.
Image: Light micrograph of vegetative organ of Peltaea polymorpha in cross section showing mucilage cells (*) in the cortex. Rodrigues et al 2025.
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