Raphides are sharp needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate (Figure 1) found in various tissues including leaves, roots, shoots, fruits, etc., of wide varieties of plant species, and are typically kept in highly specialized cell called idioblast [1], [2].

What are called raphides?

Raphides (pronounced /ˈræfɪˌdiz/, singular raphide /ˈreɪfʌɪd/ or raphis) are needle-shaped crystals of calcium oxalate monohydrate (prismatic monoclinic crystals) or calcium carbonate as aragonite (dipyramidal orthorhombic crystals), found in more than 200 families of plants.

What are raphides in one sentence?

acicular crystals, usually composed of calcium oxalate, that occur in bundles in the cells of many plants.