Stele types – The arrangement of xylem and phloem in

stems, rooots, and axes

1. Definition of steles
2. How to tell stem steles from root steles (positions of protoxylem and phloem)

3. Protosteles (haplostele, actinostele, plectostele, medullated protostele)

4. Siphonosteles (solenostele, dictyostele; ectophloic and amphiphloic)

5. Eusteles (eustele, atactostele)

 Stele

1. Tissues inside the endodermis

(of roots and some stems)
1. Recognized by the configuration of vascular tissues
in transverse section (=cross section)
2. Recognized by the configuration of the xylem in
transverse section
3. Stele terms are used for stems and roots to
describe the vascular system
4. There are three basic stele types in vascular plants
Basic stele types in vascular plants

1.Protostele = core of xylem, has no leaf gaps

2.Siphonostele = hollow cylinder of xylem,

has pith, has leaf gaps

3.Eustele = xylem and phloem arranged

as a ring of vascular bundles. Bundles form
sympodia. Typically has pith. No true leaf gaps.
Evolution of Stele Types
Distribution and Features of Protosteles

1. In roots.
2. In stems of lycopods, some ferns and seed
plants, and axes of Psilotum.
3. No leaf gaps in stems.

• Haplostele – circular in outline

• Actinostele – star-shaped stele
• Plectostele – plates of xylem
• Medullated Protostele (fossils
and some lycopods) – has a
pith but no leaf gaps
Lycopodium No Leaf Gaps!
Stem in l.s.

Showing leaf
traces

plectostele
 Examples of Protosteles
• Haplostele – found in stems of some ferns (fossil
and living), also in roots of higher plants (seed
plants)

• Actinostele – found in roots of higher plants and

stems of lycopods
Note: when in roots the phloem is located in
between the xylem arms

• Plectostele – found in stems of lycopods

 Gleichenia – a fern stem

(=rhizome) with a haplostele

Phloem sieve cells

Mixed protostele

has parenchyma

mixed with xylem

tracheids
 Actinostele

Star-shaped
stele

Found in roots
of dicots and
gymnosperms

Ranunculus
root x.s.
 Actinostele
Ranunculus (buttercup) root x.s.

Protoxylem
(Exarch)

Metaxylem

Phloem
 Medullated
Protostele
A *protostele in which the central
core of xylem consists mainly of
tracheids interspersed with
numerous parenchyma cells. It
thus resembles the medulla (*pith
) of a *siphonostele (hence the
name).
Found in roots
of monocots

Exarch Xylem

Phloem
Actinostele

Psilotum axis
Plectostele

Lycopodium stem x.s.

Steles can change at different stem levels

Lycopodium stem x.s.

 Siphonosteles

1. Solenostele = simple siphonostele with few

gaps (e.g., one at a time) stem produces few
leaves or one leaf at a time
2. Dictyostele = highly dissected siphonostele
(e.g., one producing several leaves at a
time, therefore, many gaps

These stele types are common in ferns (stems)

 Distribution and Features Siphonosteles

1. In stems of ferns
2. Leaf gaps in vascular cylinder

• Solenostele – only one leaf

gap in a single cross section.
• Dictyostele – two or more leaf
gaps in a single cross section
Adiantum fern solenostele with leaf trace

internode

node
 Solenostele
Leaf gap
pith

stele cortex

Adiantum (fern) rhizome x.s.

 Adiantum – Amphiphloic solenostele

phloem

x
= phloem on both the
outside and the the
inside of the xylem

pith

xylem
 Fossil solenosteles

Dennstaedtiopsis

Tempskya
Dictyostele

Osmunda rhizome
Osmunda - Ectophloic dictyostele

leaf trace

phloem

leaf gap

xylem

pith

= phloem on the outside of the xylem only

Dictyostele

Polypodium
(fern)
rhizome
(=stem)
 Distribution and Features Eusteles

1. In stems of seed plants

2. No true leaf gaps

Eusteles have
evolved from
protosteles by
longitudinal
dissection.

• Eustele – one recognizable

ring of stem (cauline) bundles,
pith present.
• Atactostele – Complex
eustele. Bundles look random,
no pith present.
 Has NO true leaf gaps
Eustele has a series of vascular
bundles or strands
e.g., Helianthus (sunflower)

pith

Found in dicot stems (a group of flowering plants)

 Has NO true leaf gaps
Eustele has a series of vascular
bundles or strands
e.g., Helianthus (sunflower)

pith

Found in dicot stems (a group of flowering plants)

Atactostele

Corn
Zea mays
stem
Evolution of Stele Types