<b>Leaf Anatomy of <i>Xylopia aromatica</i> (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) occurring in a rocky savannah in the Brazilian Amazonian

Abstract

Savannas of the Amazon Region of Mato Grosso State have an unique ecological identity due to the complexity of the Cerrado-Amazon transition region, their geographical isolation and the physical-chemical properties of the soil. This study aimed to characterize the leaf anatomy of Xylopia aromatica, and to identify potential adaptive traits to the xeric environment. We collected adult leaves from X. aromatica from a Amazonian savannah located in the Nova Canãa do Norte city, Mato Grosso. The leaves were fixed and stored in 70% ethanol. Cross sections were obtained by free hand with the aid of a razor blade, stained with astra blue and basic fuchsin, and mounted on histological slides. Characters considered adaptive: thick cuticle, epidermal cells with thickened walls, the presence of silica in the epidermis, trichomes, hypostomatic leaves, stomata on the same level as the other epidermal cells, presence of hypodermis, and dorsiventral mesophyll with palisade parenchyma occupying more than 50%. The anatomical characters presented are of great importance for the establishment and development of X. aromatica in xeric environments. They contribute to the protection of the leaves from many biotic and abiotic factors to which they are subjected, thus ensuring the species survival in the savannic environment.

Leaf anatomical variation in Desmos Lour. and Dasymaschalon (Hook. f. & Thomson) Dalla Torre & Harms species (Annonaceae)

“…Epidermal characters in primitive families of Angiosperm are taxonomically useful at the level of species such as character size of the guard cells, the thickness of their walls, and the arrangement and degree of development of the cuticular thickenings on the outer and inner walls and also the form of the other epidermal cells and the degree and character of their wall-thickenings (Baranova 1972). Not only having taxonomic values, leaf anatomy in Annonaceae can also be used to determine the strategy of plants to adapt to the environment as in Xylopia aromatica that grow in the xeric environment characterized by thickened cell walls of epidermal cells and the presence of silica on the adaxial surface (Simioni et al 2018).…”

Aspectos Ecológicos, Funcionais e Anatômicos de Três Espécies Lenhosas de Cerradão

“…Sendo assim, devido aos seus aspectos funcionais, a hipoderme pode ser considerada um tecido contrastante e relativamente importante para plantas de ambientes áridos. Para Xylopia a existência da hipoderme, constituída por uma camada de células parenquimatosas e volumosas, é descrita para X. aromatica e X. grandiflora (Morretes e Ferri, 1959;Bieras e Sajo, 2009;Simioni et al, 2018), enquanto para X. nitida é descrito a presença de uma epiderme multisseriada, com uma última camada de células maiores e mais desenvolvidas em relação as demais, apenas semelhante a uma hipoderme (Almeida, 2008;Almeida et al, 2009).…”

“…A espécie é amplamente distribuída no Cerrado, figurando entre as 38 espécies encontradas em 50% ou mais das áreas de cerrado lato sensu analisadas por Ratter et al (2003). A anatomia foliar do gênero Xylopia muito contribui para a sobrevivência, estabelecimento e desenvolvimento das espécies do gênero nos ambientes savânicos, seus aspectos anatômicos conferem proteção às folhas dos vários fatores bióticos e abióticos que os indivíduos estão submetidos (De Almeida et al, 2009;Simioni et al, 2018). Desta maneira, conclui-se que o padrão dos caracteres foliares de X. aromatica remetem a estratégias tipicamente escleromórficas.…”

Modelling ecological niches of Sclerocarya birrea subspecies in Tanzania under the current and future climates

“…caffra and multifoliata can mostly inhabit sub-humid and semi-arid habitats (Hall et al 2002). Drought-resistant plants often have xeromorphic structures including, small or strongly lobulated leaves (Fang et al 2015;Rivera et al 2017;Simioni et al 2018). The leaflets size varies among S. birrea subspecies (Hall et al 2002).…”