ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE VACUOLES OF THE EPIDERMAL-CELLS OF THE PEONY PETALS (PAEONIA-OFFICINALIS) UNDER THE ACTION OF THE PROCAINE

The epidermal cells of peony petals immersed for a couple of hours in chlorhydric procaine (of 1000 ppm concentration) undergo a physicochemical alteration of the colloids in the vacuolar sap. As a consequence, some corpuscle formations, of lipo-proteic nature, appear in the vacuolar sap. In optic microscopy they have a hyaline aspect, are strongly refringent and may add the vacuolar dye. Observations carried on in EM allowed sections to be made through these corpuscles (48 h after the tissues were introduced in procaine solution) and an electronically dense aspect was remarked. By their sectioning, the corpuscles suffered a surface undulating process. As the procaine accumulates in the cell, an evolution of the corpuscle forming process is obvious, in the course of time. The process becomes stable 48 h after the treatment is applied. The corpuscles are large and manifest the tendency to anchor in the tonoplast, forming deposits.