The function of leaf meristematic cells in Cotinus coggygria Scop

: Proliferation of leaf meristem cells and formation of multicellular glands and unicellular hairs in Cotinus coggygria were studied under conditions of complex stressors exerting influence on this species when introduced and grown in such a big industrial city as Voronezh. Variability in the length of dividing meristematic cells (from 7.5 to 30.0 microns) was detected. The chromosome number was calculated, and the mean length of chromosomes (1 micron) was determined. The modal chromosome number in the leaf meristem cells in 2 n = 30. However, along with these cells, aneuploid (2.7%), uninucleate polypoid (1.9%), binuclear (10%), and polynuclear (3%) cells were also observed. The length of trichomes initials, formed in the epidermis, was near 40 microns. These have a large nucleus and may have, presumably, a polyploid nature. It is assumed that a heterogeneous meristematic cell population, at the expense of selection into such a population, is able to provide an optimum combination of cells with different level ploidy and aneuploidy for more effective realization of gene function in the extremal environment conditions.