In the present study anatomical characterization of 30 species of Fabaceae endemic to Lahore, Pakistan were done under light and scanning electron microscopy. Variety of qualitative and quantitative anatomical characters like epidermal cells shapes and size, stomata types, length, and width of guard cells, subsidiary cells, trichomes, silica bodies, shapes, and their numbers were studied. Overall polygonal, irregular smooth, thick walled epidermal cells were observed at both abaxial and adaxial surfaces except Dalbergia sisso Roxb in which hexagonal epidermal cells were reported. Milletia ovelifolia Kurz. possessed the largest length of epidermal cell i.e., 273.1 μm whereas Calliandra bella Benth. showed the smallest length i.e., 76.5 μm. Average width of epidermal cells ranged from 44 to 265.5 μm. M. ovelifolia Kurz had largest width while Acacia nilotica L. had the smallest width respectively. In adaxial surface epidermal cells length ranged 317 to 46.4 μm, Glycyrriza glabra L. showed the smallest length whereas Prosopis juliflora DC. had largest length. In adaxial numbers of stomata is high as compare to the abaxial surface, mostly paracytic, anisocytic, and anomocytic stomata were observed. There is not much variations observed in trichomes of studied members. Generally non glandular, unbranched, uniserate, mulicellular bulbous base with pointed tips were reported. Oval, rounded, triangular shaped silica bodies were observed in some species. It is concluded that qualitative and quantitative anatomical variations in epidermal cells, stomata and trichomes are of good taxonomic value for the studied Fabaceae species.

In the present study morpho‐anatomical characterization of selected Rosaceae members distributed in District Lahore was performed. Light and scanning electron microscopy was used for systematic characterization of the selected 19 species. Distinguished morpho‐anatomical features such as size and shape of epidermal cells, size and type of stomatal cells, size and shape of trichomes, oil droplets, and silica bodies were contrasted. Results reported remarkable variations which could be taxonomically useful in identification of these members. Polygonal epidermal cells were observed in Eriyobotraya japonica, Potentilla bifurca, Potentilla supina, and Prunus amygdalus. However, Prunus cerasus possessed irregular‐shaped epidermal cells that can be distinguished from hexagonal epidermal cells of Prunus persica. Similarly, stomatal type varied among some members. Paracytic or perisocytic stomata were observed in E. japonica whereas P. bifurca observed paracytic and anisocytic stomata. Lengths of guard cells were also of variable sizes. The average length of guard cells ranged from 53 (52–54) μm to 74 (73–75) μm in abaxial view. Potentilla supina had biggest, while Rosmarinus officinalis had tiny guard cells. Trichomes were tubular, stellate, cylindrical, ribbon‐like, glandular, and nonglandular. Silica bodies in the present investigation were bilobed, rounded, and oval‐shaped. It is inferred that diverse anatomical features proved to be valuable taxonomic tools that could be fruitfully helpful in identification of plants at specific as well as generic level.

The current study investigates the total bacterial contamination in various packed and unpacked ras malai samples of 14 different localities of Lahore, Pakistan. The bacterial colonies such as Bacillus sp. and Gamella sp. were isolated from ras malai samples and grown on agar-broth media under sterile environmental conditions. Serial dilution technique was used to compose the replicates to get a viable count of bacteria in the samples. Results indicated that in case of packed ras malai samples, maximum bacterial count was observed in Sample 1 (422 × 10 −2 to 402 × 10 −6) and minimum bacterial count was in Sample 4 (21 × 10 −2 to 9.3 × 10 −6). For unpacked ras malai samples, maximum bacterial count was in Sample 3 (200.3 × 10 −2 to 181.3 × 10 −6) and minimum bacterial count was observed in Sample 1 (110 × 10 −2 to 90.4 × 10 −6). It was concluded that the marketed samples contain more bacterial count as compared to the standard sterilization values. Such products could possibly become the cause of many health problems in children.

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Present research work was carried out to clarify the variations among species of genus Paspalum morphologically and palynologically as this genus is taxonomically difficult due to having multiple similar morphologically overlapping characters which make it difficult to identify. Henceforth present research work was carried out to delimit taxa within the same genus by morphological and palynological tools through light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Both these tools are considered as the most useful taxonomic characters for taxonomically problematic genera. The results showed a lot of variations among morphological characters. In Paspalum dilatatum, the upper glume was ovate whereas in the other two species, the upper glume was elliptic. The upper glume apex found in P. dilatatum and Paspalum scrobiculatum was obtuse whereas in Paspalum distichum, upper glume apex was acute. Glume nerves showed variation in all three species. Paspalum distichum was 3 nerved, P. scrobiculatum was 5–7 nerved, and P. dilatatum was 5–9 nerved. All three species showed variation in lemma nerves. Paspalum scrobiculatum had 3 nerved lemma whereas in P. distichum 3–5 nerved and P. dilatatum 5–9 nerved lemma were present. In polar and equatorial view, pollen grains ranged from 25 (20–30) to 37.5 (30–45) μm. Paspalum distichum appeared to be the smallest in size whereas P. dilatatum was the largest. Exine thickness ranged from 0.75 (0.5–1) to 1.35 (1.2–1.5) μm. The higher value of pollen fertility was found in P. scrobiculatum as 87.69% and the lowest value was in P. distichum as 78.08%. Morphological keys were also given for correct identification.