Fig. 5.3-8. High magnification of an astrosclereid in water lily leaf. The upper part of the astrosclereid is part of the palisade parenchyma, but most of the lower part extends freely into the large intercellular spaces of the spongy mesophyll. In the upper part, the side walls are visible in profile, showing that they are thick, although not thick enough to occlude the lumen. The white speckles on the astrosclereid wall are very tiny angular crystals.