Institut F. A. Forel, Université de Genève, 10 route de Suisse, CH-1290 Versoix, Switzerland;
Am J Bot. 2002 Feb;89(2):346-51. doi: 10.3732/ajb.89.2.346.
X-ray microanalysis was employed to screen biogenic plant silica extracted from the aboveground tissues of 20 species (Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Ericaceae, and Coniferae) occurring in subalpine and alpine grasslands, heaths, and woodlands on siliceous bedrock in the Valaisan Swiss Alps. Among the taxa investigated, only woody species produced a high proportion of phytoliths containing aluminum in the form of aluminosilicates. This difference between the chemical composition of wood and that of herbaceous phytoliths has important implications for the sourcing of phytoliths. As applications for palaeoenvironmental studies can be expected to be far-reaching, the potential of this microanalytical technique is discussed.
采用 X 射线微分析方法，对采自瓦莱州瑞士阿尔卑斯山硅质基岩上的亚高山和高山草原、石南灌丛和林地中 20 种植物（禾本科、莎草科、石楠科和松柏科）地上组织中提取的生物成因植物硅进行了筛选。在所研究的分类群中，只有木本植物产生了高比例的以铝硅酸盐形式存在的含铝植物硅酸体。木质部和草本植物硅酸体的化学成分之间的这种差异对硅酸体的来源具有重要意义。由于古环境研究的应用预计将具有深远的影响，因此讨论了这种微分析技术的潜力。
