Foliar and stem epidermal anatomy of the tribe Cynoglosseae (Boraginaceae) and their taxonomic significance

Abstract

Foliar and stem epidermal anatomical features of the tribe Cynoglosseae have been studied in detail for the taxonomic identification using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) techniques. A comparative study was conducted on different plant parts (leaf and stem epidermal anatomy) of 25 species belonging to eight genera of the tribe Cynoglosseae (Boraginaceae) collected from different phytogeographical regions of Iran for the first time. Different qualitative and quantitative characteristics were observed in detail using LM and SEM. Results showed that although generally the stem and leaf anatomical traits were similar, but some diagnostic features were examined for distinguishing the closely related genera in the tribe. The ratio of cortex/diameter of stem and phloem/xylem, the average row number of collenchyma, palisade and spongy cells, structure of trichomes, type of indumentum and palisade arrangement were found taxonomically important. The anatomical characters were statistically analyzed using cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The study found that stem and leaf eccentrics are variable in the genus but constant within species of the same genus. Most species had typical isobilateral leaves, but some showed an incipient dorsoventrally symmetry with a layer of abaxial palisade tissue. Eglandular trichomes were observed found in all the studied species, which were recognized based on structure and function. In present study some novel characters have been observed which are of great interest to the taxonomist for the correct identification some genera delimitations. The characters studied here are of less taxonomic value and delimitating at species level.

Foliar epidermal anatomy of some selected wild edible fruits of Pakistan using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy

“…The microscopic features of leaves magnified by using SEM, are useful to study micromorphological structures of the leaf epidermis, such as epidermal cells, stomata, and trichome types (Shah, Ahamd, Zafar, & Zaman, , Shah et al, ). Micromorphological leaf data can result in the identification of traits for a species (Attar, Esfandani‐Bozchaloyi, Mirtadzadini, Ullah, & Zaman, ; Gul et al, , ). Diverse nature of trichomes may help in the correct identification of plants (Ashfaq et al, ; McCauley, Cortés‐Palomec, & Oyama, ).…”

Taxonomic importance of spore morphology in Thelypteridaceae from Northern Pakistan

“…SEM has proven to be invaluable for observations of the surface morphology of plant materials, primarily due to the increased depth of field and high resolution, which are unobtainable by LM. This tool along with LM allows the use of more micromorphological data in taxonomic, biological, and morphogenetic studies of many fern families and species (David, Ain, Ahmad, Zaman, & Jahan, ; Shah et al, ; Shah, Ahmad, Zafar, Malik, et al, , Shah, Ahmad, Zafar, Razzaq, et al, ; Shah, Çelik, et al, ; Zaman et al, ), as well as other plants groups (Attar, Esfandani‐Bozchaloyi, Mirtadzadini, Ullah, & Zaman, ; Bahadur et al, ; Esfandani‐Bozchaloyi & Zaman, ; Gul et al, ; Kandemir, Çelik, Ullah, Shah, & Zaman, ; Rashid, Zafar, Ahmad, Khan, et al, ; Rashid, Zafar, Ahmad, Malik, et al, ; Saqib et al, ; Ullah et al, ; Ullah, Papini, et al, ; Ullah, Zafar, Ahmad, Dilbar, et al, ; Ullah, Zafar, Ahmad, Shah, et al, ; Ullah, Zafar, Amhad, Sultana, et al, ; Ullah, Zaman, et al, ).…”

Leaf and stem micromorphology of Byrsonima sericea DC. by light and scanning electron microscopy

“…Micromorphological studies using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques have been used as important tools in systematic and vascular plant taxonomy. The use of multiple microscopic techniques has allowed plant identifications and the resolution of taxonomic problems in different plant groups, including ferns (Shah et al, 2018; Shah, Ahmad, et al, ; Shah, Celik, et al, ) and angiosperms (Attar et al, ; Ullah, Nasar Shah, et al, ; Ullah, Zaman, et al, ; Gul et al, ; ; Kandemir, Çelik, Ullah, Shah, & Zaman, ). Additionally, microscopic techniques have supported the identification of medicinal plants, such as the work by Shaheen et al (2019), who studied cases of adulteration with Senna .…”

“…Leaf anatomical studies can be important tools for the quality control of drugs and ethnodrugs, the identification of species, and for the taxonomy of ferns and angiosperms-as was demonstrated by Araújo, Azevedo, Silva, and Meira (2010) for 16 species of Byrsonima from the Brazilian Cerrado, by Porto, Figueiredo, Oliveira, and Agra (2011) and Porto, de Barros, Basílio, and Agra (2016), both for the genus Cissampelos, by Shah et al (2018), Shah, Ahmad, et al (2019), Shah, Celik, et al (2018), who studied the taxonomic importance of leaf epidermis in Pteridaceae, by Attar, Esfandani-Bozchaloyi, Mirtadzadini, Ullah, and Zaman (2019) and by Ullah et al (2018), Ullah, Nasar Shah, et al, 2019, who examined the leaf anatomy and the pollen morphology in species of Cynoglosseae tribe of Boraginaceae, and by Gul et al (2019a;2019b), who undertook anatomic studies in the Lamiaceae family, inter alia.…”

“…Micromorphological studies using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques have been used as important tools in systematic and vascular plant taxonomy. The use of multiple microscopic techniques has allowed plant identifications and the resolution of taxonomic problems in different plant groups, including ferns Shah, Ahmad, et al, 2019;Shah, Celik, et al, 2018) and angiosperms (Attar et al, 2019;Ullah, Nasar Shah, et al, 2019;Gul et al, 2019a;2019b;Kandemir, Çelik, Ullah, Shah, & Zaman, 2019 Considering the importance of B. sericea in folk medicine and as a food source for humans, we undertook a study of its leaf anatomy and histochemistry using LM and SEM to determine differential parameters that could support quality control of its ethnodrugs and separate B. sericea from other species of the genus.…”