Question

The transverse section of a plant material shows the following anatomical features:
1. The vascular bundles are conjoint, scattered, and surrounded by a sclerenchymatous bundle sheath.
2. Phloem parenchyma is absent.
What will you identify as?

Answer 1

Hint: The anatomy of plant material consist of monocot and dicot, stem, roots leaves respectively The transverse section described in the question is a stem as sclerenchyma is absent in the roots.

Complete answer: The monocot stem has a sclerenchymatous hypodermis, large number vascular bundles, and a large conspicuous parenchymatous ground tissue
1. The vascular bundles are numerous and scattered in parenchymatous ground tissue
2. They are smaller in size towards the periphery and larger towards the center.
3. Each vascular bundle is conjoint, collateral, end arch, and closed.
4. It is surrounded by a sclerenchymatous ground tissue or sclerenchymatous bundle sheath.
5. The phloem is composed of sieve tubes and companion cells only. The phloem parenchyma is absent.
6. Water containing cavities are present within the vascular bundles.

Additional information: In monocotyledonous stem
The stem is not differentiated into cortex, endodermis, pericycle, and pith
The hypodermis is usually sclerenchymatous. In some cases, the hypodermis may be absent (eg. Wheat, Asparagus ).
Medullary rays are absent.
Xylem vessels are generally oval in the transverse section.

So the correct answer is the Transverse section of Monocot Stem

Note: Normally secondary growth does not occur in the monocotyledonous stem.
There is water containing the lysigenous cavity at the end of the protoxylem vessels formed by the dissolution of inner protoxylem vessels and parenchyma.