Abstract: We studied the epidermal morphology of 15 species of Aspleniaceae under light microscope. The results indicated that:(1)The shape of the upper and lower epidermal cells of 15 species of Aspleniaceae are irregular, with sinuate, sinuous or repand anticlinal walls. The length to width radio of upper epidermal cells was between 1.3-2.6, and the length and width radio of lower epidermal cells was between 1.3-4.1; (2)In these 15 kinds of plants, 7 types of stomatal apparatus were observed, Axillocytic-type, Aisocytic-type, Anomotetracytic-type, Anomocytic-type, Polocytic-type, Copolocytic-type and Coaxillocytic-type. Each plants has two to 5 types of stomatal apparatus, all the stomatal apparatuses occur in the lower epidermis, and most of them are elliptical. Stomatal length to width ratio was between 1.12-2.81; the stomatal density was 16.4-105.1 unit·mm^-2, and the stomatal index was 5.7%-21.1%; (3)The upper epidermal cells' shape, the shape of the anticlinal walls, the ratio of the length to width of the upper epidermal cells, the type of stomatal apparatus, the main types and the derived types have some stabilities in genus, which can be the basis for morphological classification of leaf epidermis of 15 species of Aspleniaceae; (4)To a certain extent, this study supports the division of Aspleniaceae, grouping Asplenium L and classified series of genus by Qin Renchang and Wu Zhaohong. Our study provided the basic data for the evolution and classification of the species of Aspleniaceae.

Key words: Aspleniaceae, leaf epidermis, stomatal apparatus, cell morphology