Podranea ricasoliana

Non-stratified phloem (Fig. 19G, H). Sieve tubes solitary or in multiples of 2-3 (Fig. 19I). Most sieve plates simple, on a transverse to slightly inclined wall. One or two companion cell per sieve-tube element (Fig. 19I), lying on opposite sides of the sieve tube. Companion cells in strands of two cells. Axial parenchyma constitutes the ground tissue (Fig. 19H, I), two cells per parenchyma strand, sometimes up to four. Course of rays straight (Fig. 19G). Ray dilatation seemingly absent (Fig.19G). Rays bi-triseriate, heterocellular mixed,with procumbent, square and upright cells intermixed across the entire ray. Rays smaller than 1 mm, except when two or more rays merge. Rays do not sclerify, not even when touching the fibersclereid clusters (Fig. 19G, H). Sclerenchyma composed of fibersclereids only, differentiated in the nonconducting phloem in discrete, evenly distributed clusters. Non-storied. In young stems, pericyclic fibers forming a ring of discrete strands. Multiple periderms (rhytidome), reticulate (Fig. 19G). The phellem and phelloderm are thin walled, non-stratified (Fig. 19G). The phelloderm is thin, with less than three cell layers (Fig. 19G).