Phytoliths in selected broad-leaved trees in China

Broad-leaved trees are widely distributed from tropical to temperate zones in China, reference collections of phytoliths from these taxa are crucial for the precise reconstruction of paleoenvironments and the study of early plant resource exploitation. However, not much has been published on the phytoliths produced by modern broad-leaved trees. In this study, we collected samples of 110 species that cover the common species distributed in Northern and Southern China, and extracted phytoliths from leaves, twigs and fruits, in order to investigate the phytoliths types and production in these species. We found that only 58 species were phytoliths producers, and that 23 distinct phytoliths morphotypes could be recognized. The results showed that phytoliths types and production in Northern and Southern China could be similar in the two regions. Through analyzing previously published data and our data, Elongate brachiate geniculate, Polygonal tabular, Elongate facetate, Tracheary annulate/facetate geniculate and Tracheary annulate/facetate claviform have been proposed to be the potential diagnostic types for broad-leaved trees in general. This study provided a preliminary reference of phytoliths in modern broad-leaved trees, and could be used in the identification of phytoliths in sediments and archaeological contexts.