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Bulletin of Botanical Research ›› 2022, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 341-351.doi: 10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2022.03.003

• Systematic and Evolutionary • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Application of Cuticular Micromorphology of the Cuticle of Pinus Needles in Taxonomy

Jun LI1, Yaping DUAN2, Xiuzhen CAI1(), Ting WANG1, Baihan PAN1   

  1. 1.College of Life Sciences,Hunan Normal University,Changsha 410081
    2.Hunan University of Chinese Medicine,Changsha 410208
  • Received:2021-04-12 Online:2022-05-20 Published:2022-05-20
  • Contact: Xiuzhen CAI E-mail:yumi812@aliyun.com
  • About author:LI Jun(1997—),male,postgraduate,engaged in taxonomy of seed plants.
  • Supported by:
    National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China(2019FY101800);Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department(19B378)

Abstract:

The cuticle is an impermeable fatty layer on the surface of the epidermal cell wall, and closely combined with epidermal cells, the micromorphological characteristics such as the morphology and arrangement of plant epidermal cells, as well as the morphological structure of the stomatal apparatus, can be reflected in the cuticle. In this paper, the cuticular micromorphology of needles of 12 species of Pinus was observed and compared by optical microscope and scanning electron microscope, and 20 characters were described in detail, of which 12 characters came from the inner surface of the cuticles and eight characters from the outer surface of the cuticles respectively. The results showed that these characters had taxonomic importance for the intra-genus classification and the identification of similar species: ①Micromorphological features of the cuticle such as the length of epidermal cells, the length of bristle, the undulating degree of the outer surface of the cuticle, the outline of epidermal cells, the presence or absence of stomatal plug and needle-like substances had their specificities, which could be used as a basis for the classification of Pinus at the section level. The micromorphological features of cuticles did not support the view of merging P. Section Cembra and P. Section Parrya into P. Section Quinquefolius, nor did it support the view of dividing P. Section Pinus into P. Section Pinus and P. Section Trifolius. ②The cuticle micromorphological characteristics of the needles of P. bungeana were partly the same as P. Section Cembra, partly similar to P. Section Pinus, and partly different from other species of Pinus, which could provide a new argument for the establishment of P. Subgenus Parrya. ③Under scanning electron microscope, the anticlinal wall pattern of epidermal cells, the existence or nonexistence of stomatal plug and the stomatal shape of the outer surface could provide interspecific delimitation basis for morphologically similar species of P. taeda and P. elliottii.

Key words: Pinus, cuticle micromorphology, taxonomy, stomatal apparatus

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