The vegetative anatomy of Elaeocarpus angustifolius Blume, Elaeocarpus tuberculatus Roxb., and Elaeocarpus variabilis Zmarzty were investigated to illustrate anatomical variations. Plant materials were free-hand sectioned using a razor blade and stained with different staining solutions. The maceration technique was used to assess stomatal characteristics. Elaeocarpus leaves have abaxial epidermis with paracytic stomata and curved anticlinal walls in E. angustifolius, straight walls in other two species. Trichomes were absent in E. angustifolius.hav Mesophyll dorsiventral, midvein cortex contains starch grains, and vascular tissues enclosed by thick-walled sclerenchymatous cells. The petioles of all the three species possess unicellular epidermal hairs, collenchymatous hypodermis, and cortex containing druses and crystals, and vascular tissue enclosed by sclerenchymatous fibers. Water-storage cells are absent in petioles of E. angustifolius. Anatomical features of Elaeocarpus stem include epidermal hairs, epidermis covered by thin cuticle, the collenchymatous hypodermis and vascular integrity with entire cylinder enclosed by sclerenchymatous fibers. Pith contains water-storage cells. Starch grains absent in the pith cells of E. tuberculatus. The roots of Elaeocarpus possess unicellular root hairs, cortex 12-14 layered in E. tuberculatus and E. variabilis and 10-12 layerd E. angustifolius, Endodermis O-thickened and pericycle single-layered in all the examined Elaeocarpus species. Vascular bundles are arranged radially. Lignin deposition occurred in stellar region of roots. Water-storage cells present in the stelar regions of E. variabilis.The study revealed significant anatomical differences between the three Elaeocarpus species and most of these anatomical features may be used as markers for the identification of these species.
Research Highlights• Comparative anatomy of three south Indian Elaeocarpus was studied.• Leaf mesophyll layers varied in all the Elaeocarpus species.• Crystals was present in petiole of all examined Elaeocarpus species.• Starch grains was absent in stems of E. tubercuatus, but present in E. variabilis.• Water-storage cells observed in stellar region of E. variabilis.
The anatomical description of vegetative parts of Taberenaemontana alternifolia L. belonging to the family Apocynaceae was investigated in the present study. The leaves of T. alternifolia is hypostomatic with paracytic stomata, uniseriate epidermis made up of thin-walled parenchymatous cells covered by thin cuticle on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces. The hypodermis comprises of angular collenchyma cells. Mesophyll is dorsiventral containing silica bodies and vascular bundles are bicollateral. The petiole is flattened adaxially and arch-shaped abaxially with a uniseriate epidermis covered by a thin cuticle. The hypodermis is 7-8 layered angular collenchyma cells consisting of laticifers and parenchymatic, cortical layers consisting of silica bodies and thick-walled fibers and U-shaped bicollateral vascular bundles. Secondary growth in stems is characterized by the formation of periderm and thick-walled fibers in the vascular tissues. Bicollateral vascular bundles are covered by sclerenchymatous patches, parenchymatous cortex and pith consist of fibers, laticifers and silica bodies. The root possess unicellular root hairs, compactly arranged thin-walled uniseriate epidermis, 16-18 layered cortex containing silica bodies and fibers, indistinct endodermis, radially arranged vascular bundles and 14-16 arched xylem. Pitted water-storage cells are present in the conjunctive tissue. Lignin deposition was observed in the root stelar region and pith is absent.
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