Peculiar anatomical traits, high durability, and potential ornamental use of Cyclanthaceae as fresh foliage

ABSTRACT Wild plant species with potential for use as ornamental green foliage are often reported. Nevertheless, there are few studies evaluating morphological and anatomical aspects associated with this use. Preliminary trials suggest that the species of Sphaeradenia (Sander ex Mast.) Harling, a Cyclantaceae that occurs from Costa Rica to Peru, is suitable to be used as fresh foliage because of attractiveness of their leaves in vase and its durability without showing tissue damage, compared with other genera of this family. Through the study of anatomical characters, it is possible to predict the potential of a species that can serve as ornamental foliage. In this study, three foliar anatomical features (thickness of the cuticle and leaf, and percentage of fibers in the mesophyll) of seven Cyclanthaceae species were evaluated, using anatomical techniques and image analysis with the LUCIA® and ImageJ softwares. Statistical analysis of the results suggests that this high durability is associated with the thickness of the cuticle and mesophyll, but not with the amount of fibers in the leaf.

Tricobezoar gástrico: Presentación de un caso / Gastric Trichobezoar: Case Report

El bezoar es una concreción que se forma en la luz del tracto gastrointestinal por la acumulación de cuerpos extraños no digeribles. Se clasifican de acuerdo con el material que los componen, son el tricobezoar y el fitobezoar las formas más frecuentes, los cuales están compuestos de pelo y de fibras de vegetales y frutas, respectivamente. El bezoar usualmente se forma en el estómago, puede pasar al intestino delgado (síndrome de Rapunzel) y ser una causa poco frecuente de obstrucción intestinal. En este artículo se describe un caso de tricobezoar gástrico, sus hallazgos por imagen, patología y una breve revisión de la literatura. La información acerca de esta entidad es limitada y se cuenta con pocas series de casos por lo cual es necesario continuar describiendo y determinando sus hallazgos en las diferentes modalidades diagnósticas.

A bezoar is a foreign body that can form in the gastrointestinal tract due to the ingestion of non digestible substances. They are classified according to their composition, with trichobezoar and phytobezoar being the most frequent forms, and they are formed by hair and vegetable and fruits fibres respectively. A bezoar is usually formed in the stomach but can however move to the small intestine (Rapunzel syndrome) and become a low frequency cause of intestinal obstruction (0.4 to 4%). This article describes a case of gastric trichobezoar, its findings by image, pathology and a brief review of the literature. The information about this entity is limited and there are few series of cases so it is necessary to continue describing and determining their findings in the different diagnostic modalities.