Mucilage Receptacle

in plants, a long canal, closed cavity, or individual cell filled with mucilage. Mucilage receptacles are present in ferns (for example, Marattiales) and in the bark and heartwood of fern palms and ginkgoes. Among flowering plants, mucilage receptacles are typical of members of the family Araceae (for example, monsteras). The cells of fleshy leaves of succulents (for example, cactus) are filled with mucilage that retains a great deal of moisture. Large spherical mucilage cells, which also contain tannins and phenols, develop in the phloem of many fir species.