aBstract. A comparative morphological and anatomical study on the petioles and lamina of 22 taxa (species, subspecies and cultivars) of the genus Philodendron (subgenera Meconostigma, Pteromischum and Philodendron) has been made in order to investigate interspecific differences which may be useful in species identification. All species have bifacial leaves with petioles, amphistomatic with a strongly reduced density of stomata on the adaxial leaf surface. The species differ in the size and shape of their epidermal cells, the distribution and types of stomata and cuticle ornamentation in the lamina, thickness of epicuticular layer, presence or absence of hypodermis, structure of spongy mesophyll, thickness of palisade and spongy mesophyll layers, as well as types of raphides, and in the structure and forms of petioles. A combination of these characters may be useful in species identification. This study shows that there is some variation in petiole and leaf morphological and anatomical characters among the 22 taxa of Philodendron. However, many characters are present in all of them and may be typical of the genus. The study revealed several detailed interesting epidermal and anatomical features that have not previously been reported in the genus.
The type and distribution (locations) of calcium oxalate crystals in mature leaves of 19 taxa of Philodendron (subgenera Meconostigma, Pteromischum and Philodendron) were studied. The calcium oxalate crystals were mainly found in the form of raphides, druses, styloids and prisms. The leaves of Philodendron demonstrate the presence of five distinctive raphide crystal types (biforine, thin-walled spindle-shaped, wide cells containing a wide raphide bundle, bundles of obliquely overlapping crystal and unmodified cells with either a single crystal needle or their cluster). Styloids and druses were found in all taxa at varying frequencies. Simple prisms and variations in crystal forms were most frequently observed in the ground tissue in petioles and midribs. This study represents additional data concerning calcium oxalate crystals in Philodendron.
The paper characterises a new locality of Melampyrum cristatum identified in Dębno upon Warta (Wielkopolska region, Poland). Its ecological conditions are presented, along with the size of the population, phytosociological affiliation, as well as a characteristics of the species focusing on new traits of seed sculpture.
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