ESTUDO DE PLANTAS LATICÍFERAS. I. Aspectos anatômicos e distribuição de vasos laticíferos de Manihot caerulescens Pohl. ^*

Summary

A study was made of the leaf and bark anatomy of Manihot caerulescens (Euphorbiaceae) an economically viable, latex producing plant which already has contributed to the extractive production of natural rubber.

The species studied is know as "maniçoba", "mandioca brava", amongst other names. Descriptions of the internal morphology of the leaf and bark were made emphasizing the distribution of the laticiferous veins.

Greater emphasis was placed on the bark, from which latex is usually obtained. A great similarity was observed between the anatomy of this specie and that of M. dichotoma, M. glaziovil and Hevea brasiliensis. The same laticiferous system is distributed throughout the plant.