Difference between Protostele and Siphonostele

The stele constitutes the centre part of a root or stems comprising vascular and other ground tissues. The stele’s tissues are derived from the procambium, such as pericycle, pith, vascular tissue, etc. The two types of stele seen in plants are protostele and siphonostele.

Protostele and siphonostele are two types of stele’s arrangements. The most primitive kind of stele seen in lower plants is protostele, while a much more advanced stele seen in other plants is siphonostele.

The key difference between protostele and siphonostele lies in the fact that the protostele comprises a solid core of vascular tissue, lacking a central pith or any leaf gaps. On the other hand, the siphonostele comprises a cylindrical vascular tissue that surrounds the central pith and comprises leaf gaps.

Protostele

• It is a type of stele wherein the stem’s vascular tissue constitutes a solid core lacking a central pith or leaf gaps.
• Around the vascular tissue can be an endodermis, regulating the water flow inside and outside the vascular system.
• The three basic types of protostele are – haplostele, plectostele and actinostele.

Siphonostele

• It is a type of stele wherein the stem’s vascular tissue forms a cylinder girdling the central pith having leaf gaps.
• They have a central area of the ground tissue, referred to as the pith, having vascular strands consisting of a hollow cylinder which surrounds the pith.
• These usually have gaps in the vascular strands wherein the leaves originate.
• Siphonosteles can be referred to as ectophloic or can be amphiphloic. Amphiphloic steles can be seen in Asterid flowering plants.

Key Difference between Protostele and Siphonostele

The table below depicts the difference between protostele and siphonostele.

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