Nuclear microprobe studies of elemental distribution in apical leaves of the Ni hyperaccumulator Berkheya coddii

The distribution of nickel and other elements was investigated in freeze-dried young leaves of Berkheya coddii Roessler (Asteraceae), one of the five nickel hyperaccumulating plants from South Africa. Two-dimensional quantitative maps were generated to determine the distribution of Ni, as well as macro- and micronutrients, using the scanning nuclear microprobe of the National Accelerator Centre. The highest Ni enrichment was found in leaf margins, leaf mesophyll and midrib epidermis of very young apical leaves.