laticiferous

Laticiferous refers to plants that contain laticifers. Laticifers are specialized, often elongated cells or vessels within plant tissues that produce and contain latex. Latex is a milky or watery exudate that is released when the plant tissue is injured. These laticifers can be articulated, meaning they are formed from a series of individual cells joined end to end, or non-articulated, which are single, continuous, multinucleate cells. The latex produced by laticifers can vary significantly in composition and function, depending on the plant species. It may contain a mixture of substances including rubber, resins, terpenes, alkaloids, sugars, starches, and proteins. The function of latex in plants is also diverse, serving purposes such as defense against herbivores and insects, wound sealing, and the transport of nutrients. Examples of plants that possess laticifers include the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), and the milkweed (Asclepias spp.). The study of laticiferous plants and their latex is important in fields such as botany, agriculture, and ethnobotany.