Root anatomy, growth, and development of Typha domingensis Pers. (Typhaceae) and their relationship with cadmium absorption, accumulation, and tolerance

Typha domingensis Pers. is a plant that grows in marshy environments, where cadmium (Cd) accumulates. The root is the first organ that comes into contact with the metal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of Cd on the roots of T domingensis. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using different Cd concentrations: (1) 0 mu M (control), (2) 10 mu M, and (3) 50 mu M, with 10 replicates for 90 days. The plants were placed in plastic containers containing 5 L of nutrient solution modified with the different Cd concentrations. At the end of the experiment, the roots were measured, sampled, fixed, and subjected to usual plant microtechniques. The slides were observed and photographed under light microscopy and analyzed in ImageJ software. To measure Cd absorption, atomic-absorption spectrometry was used. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and comparison of means by the Scott-Knott test at P <0.05. When exposed to 50 mu M of Cd, the roots accumulated 99.35% of the Cd. At this concentration, there was a reduction in the exodermis but there was an increase in the diameter of the cortical cells and in the proportion of aerenchyma in the cortex. There was an increase in the root cap, which guaranteed the protection of the primary meristems. Therefore, T domingensis adjusts its root anatomy improving the Cd tolerance and shows potential for phytoremediation purposes.

Automated summary

This study evaluated the effect of Cd on the roots of T domingensis and found that when exposed to a concentration of 50 mu M Cd, the roots accumulated most of the Cd but adjusted their root anatomy to improve Cd tolerance, indicating potential for phytoremediation purposes.