LAUSR

ABSTRACT The objective evaluates the anatomy of elephant grass under different defoliation frequencies and levels of insertion on the tiller. The experiment was set up as a completely randomized design with a 3 × 5 factorial arrangement consisting of leaf sheath insertion levels (IL) on the tiller and defoliation frequencies (30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days). Leaf area and number of vascular bundles present in the leaf blade and leaf sheath were influenced by IL and defoliation frequencies (P < 0.05). The abaxial epidermis was thicker at the basal IL for both leaf blade and sheath. Regarding the proportion of leaf blade anatomical tissues, for the xylem area, whose highest percentages (9.21 and 10.10%) were observed at the apical IL at the highest defoliation frequencies (30 and 45 days, respectively). The area occupied by the sclerenchyma increased as the level of maturity advanced, in both the leaf and the leaf sheath.