As micromorphological knowledge was not available for Coix aquatica Roxb., the foliar epidermal studies were carried out for Coix lacryma-jobi L. and Coix aquatica Roxb. with the aim of determining the patterns of variation in their epidermal characteristics and assessing their value in species identification. Comparative foliar analysis was carried out by using light microscopy, after following routine scraping method. The characters of diagnostic importance in the identification of C. aquatica are the sparsely distributed prickle hairs with long pointed apex in the abaxial epidermis and dumbbell shaped silica cells in both the epidermises. The diagnostic characters for C. lacryma-jobi are the cross shaped silica cells and dumbbell shaped on the abaxial and adaxial epidermis respectively. The observed differences in certain micromorphological characters helps in identification of presently studied two species of Coix.

Desmostachya pingalaiae Raole & R. J. Desai sp. nov. is described from the Navasari district of Gujarat, India. A detailed morphological description and line drawings of the new species are provided. In addition, the new species is compared with D. bipinnata (L.) Stapf.

Leaf epidermal features are very important in grass systematics for characterization of broad groups, within subfamilies and tribes. Numerous species belonging to sub-tribe Ischaemineae, tribe Andropogoneae, family Poaceae are endemic to the Indian subcontinent, but their micromorphological reports were very scares. Therefore, foliar micromorphological characters of subtribe Ischaemineae have been studied in detail for 16 taxa of subtribe Ischaemineae from Gujarat, India. All the epidermal peels were prepared after following routine scraping method, representative areas were photographed and presented here. Structural diversity as well as metric values for both the epidermises has been recorded. In general, intercostals zones and costal zones are uniform in nature in terms of sinuous papillate long cells, cross-dumbbell-nodular shaped silica cells and triangular-low domed shaped subsidiary cells on stomata. From all the studied micromorphological characters, papillae and microhairs are found to be most useful character to segregate species and genera in subtribe Ischaemineae. Additionally, intercostal silica bodies, hooks, prickles and bulliform cells are also found to be helpful for the same. An artificial key based on observed variable micromorphological features has been also prepared.

Leaves are most important part of the plant and can be used for the identification of a taxon. An appropriate understanding of leaf development in terms of shape and responsible abiotic factors is necessary for improvement in plant. Leaf shape variation could be evaluated successfully, and the symmetrical and asymmetrical elements of the overall shape variation could be detected. The aim of the present study was to establish a quantitative analysis method of leaf shape by elliptic Fourier descriptors and principal component analysis (EF-PCA). EF-PCA describes an overall shape mathematically by transforming coordinate information concerning its contours into elliptic Fourier descriptors (EFDs) and summarizing the EFDs by principal component analysis. We can be able to extract six variables by using leaf specimen images from field and herbarium specimens. In the present study, total leaf area with respect to notch area is more variable within species. Within a species the major source of the symmetrical elements may be governed by genotypic features and the asymmetrical elements are strongly affected by the environment. We could discuss the value of morphometrics to detect subtle morphological variation which may be undetectable by human eye.