Latex Topics

• latex vessels
• poppy family
• rubber trees
• hawkweed
• mature plant
• salsify
• rubber tree
• meristem
• cell walls
• alkaloids
• elastica
• plant species
• dandelion
• emulsion
• resins
• fungi
• castilla
• lettuce
• plant cells
• embryo

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Latex, Latex

It is a complex emulsion in which proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oil, tannins, resins and gum are found. In most plants, latex is white, but some have yellow, orange, or scarlet latex.

In many plants, the laticiferous system is formed from rows of cells laid down in the meristem of the stem or root. The cell walls between these cells are dissolved so that continuous tubes, called latex vessels, are formed. This method of formation is found in the poppy family, in the rubber trees (Para rubber tree and Castilla elastica ), and in the Cichorieae, a section of the Family Asteraceae distinguished by the presence of latex in its members. Dandelion, lettuce, hawkweed and salsify are members of the Cichorieae.

Early in the development of the seedling latex cells differentiate, and as the plant grows these latex cells grow into a branching system extending throughout the plant. In the mature plant, the entire laticiferous system is descended from a single cell or group of cells present in the embryo.

Still others believe it functions to protect the plant in case of injuries; drying to form a protective layer that prevents the entry of fungi and bacteria. Similarly, it may provide some protection against browsing animals, since in some plants latex is very bitter or even poisonous. It may be that latex fulfills all of these functions to varying degrees in the numerous plant species in which it occurs.

Source: Wikipedia > Latex