Some scales have a prominent pattern of strongly thickened cell walls that gives the impression of a lattice (the surface cell walls are thin and transparent, while the vertical walls are thick and dark). These are referred to as clathrate scales.
Australian Tropical Ferns and Lycophytes - Online edition
6.1.3 Rhizome scale surface texture
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![](../../images/features/6_1.3_rhizome_scale_surface_texture/thumbs/char_6_1_3_clathrate_sml.jpg)
Scales clathrate (or latticed) where the cells have thin, transparent surface walls and thickened lateral walls.
![](../../images/features/6_1.3_rhizome_scale_surface_texture/thumbs/char_6_1_3_notclathrate_sml.jpg)
Scales not clathrate.
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