Abstract: Vaccinium hirtumThunb. var. koreanum (Nakai) Kitamura is a rare and protected plant species in China. It is mainly distributed in the southern part of the Changbai Mountains and grows in cliffs or the place between rocks where there is sufficient sunshine but with theextreme environment such as barren and dry land with cold and strong wind in winter. We know little about the anatomy and resistance of V. hirtumvar.koreanum. In this study, the conventional paraffin section was used to observe anatomical structure of roots, stems and leaves of V. hirtum var.koreanum, aiming to reveal the relationship between anatomical structure and environmental adaptability. The results showed that the conducting tissue of perennial lateral roots in V. hirtumvar.koreanum was well developed. The epidermis and cortical cells of capillary roots were bulky. There were abundant solid inclusions in endothelial cells. In addition, a large number of mycorrhizal fungi such as ericoid mycorrhizal fungi, dark septate endophytes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were found in the capillary roots. These features would help roots absorb moisture and nutrients. There was a thick stratum corneum \[(10.74±0.89) μm\] on the surface of one-year stem. There were a large amount of solid inclusions in both cortical thick-walled cells and pith cells. The cortex had a special air cavity structure, whose thickness accounted for 30% of theradius of the stem. These characters are helpful for plants to improve their water retention and adaptationto low temperature. The phloem tissue in stem was well developed, which facilitates the transport of water and nutrients. Furthermore, the upper and lower surfaces of leaves were covered with a thick cuticle \[(2.06±0.75), (2.04±0.73) μm, respectively\], and the phloem tissue of the veins was well developed, which would be beneficial to drought tolerance and water absorption. In conclusion, the anatomical structure of V. hirtumvar.koreanum helps toexplain why it can survive in drought, cold, windy, hostile environment at the top of mountain in eastern Liaoning.

Key words: calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer, Codonopsis tang-shen, acidified soil., improvement, quicklime