Table 1 Summary of histochemical and microscopy tests on pollen and seed cone bracts

From: Heterochrony and repurposing in the evolution of gymnosperm seed dispersal units

Histochemical test	Pollen cone bract				Seed cone bract
	Epidermis	Fibers		Parenchyma	Epidermis (Stage 1–3)	Fibers (Stage 1–3)		Parenchyma
	Epidermis	Primary wall	Secondary wall	Parenchyma	Epidermis (Stage 1–3)	Primary wall	Secondary wall	(Stage 1–2)	(Stage 3)
Toluidine blue O	Green	Blue	Not stained	Blue	Green	Blue	Not stained	Blue	Blue
PAS	−−−	+++	−−−	+++	−−−	+++	−−−	+++	−−−
Alcian blue	−−−	−−−	−−−	+++	−−−	−−−	−−−	+++	−−−
Ruthenium Red	−−−	+++	−−−	−−−	−−−	+++	−−−	−−−	−−−
IKI (Lugol)	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−
Polarized light	−−−	+++	+++	−−−	−−−	+++	+++	−−−	−−−
Coomassie blue R-2503	−−−	++−	−−−	+++*	−−−	++−	−−−	+++*	−−−
Sudan Black B	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−	−−−

Cytochemical test specificity: toluidine blue O—polyanionic acid groups: blue, phenolic compounds: green, pectins: purple [46]; PAS—insoluble polysaccharides [44]; Alcian blue—mucilage [42, 45]; ruthenium red—pectins and IKI (Lugol)—starch [47]; polarized light—birefringent crystalline fibers [48]; Sudan Black B—lipids (including phospholipids) [49]. (+++) strong, (++−) positive, (+−) weak, (−−) none observed, (*) peripheral to vacuole

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ISSN: 2041-9139

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