Fig. 5.
Boric acid excess results in lignin deposition in metaxylem cell walls (yellow arrows) and increase in thickness of interfascicular fiber in inflorescence stems of CsiLAC4OE lines. (a) Hand sections were cut from a mature inflorescence stem (5 cm above the rosette) 14 d after the boric acid treatment and were stained with phloroglucinol‐HCl. (b, c) Thickness of interfascicular fiber (b) and xylem cell wall (c) were measured with the ImageJ software. Results are mean ± SD. Asterisks indicate significant differences at: **, P < 0.01 level by one‐way ANOVA (Student‐Newman‐Keuls method, n = 4). Ph, phloem; IF, interfascicular fiber. Bar, 25 µm.