Abstract Aims Silicon (Si) has beneficial effects in a variety of plant species and
environments. Soil and climate affect silica accumulation in given plant species, but their
roles on foliar silicification patterns and balance between silica and C-rich biopolymers as
structural components is poorly known. Methods We studied silica deposition in situ in
sugarcane leaves collected in three tropical environments differing in soil and climate. Plant
silica deposits were physically extracted from leaves through wet digestion. Leaves were …

Silicon (Si) has beneficial effects in a variety of plant species and environments. Soil and
climate affect silica accumulation in given plant species. Their roles on biosilicification
patterns and balance between silica and C-rich biopolymers as structural components is
poorly known. Here, we studied silica deposition in situ in sugarcane leaves collected in
three tropical environments differing in soil and climate. Plant silica deposits were physically
extracted from leaves through wet digestion. Leaves were observed and mapped for Si by …