Welcome to Bulletin of Botanical Research! Today is Share:

Bulletin of Botanical Research ›› 2024, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (4): 517-527.doi: 10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2024.04.005

• Systematic and Evolutionary • Previous Articles    

Foliar Epidermal Micromorphology of Eleven Species and One Variety of Simple-Leaved Sorbus

Xueyan WEI, Baomei TAN, Chi ZHANG, Jiabao LI, Xin CHEN()   

  1. Co -innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China,College of Life Sciences,Nanjing Forestry University,Nanjing 210037
  • Received:2024-01-18 Online:2024-07-20 Published:2024-07-09
  • Contact: Xin CHEN E-mail:chenxinzhou@njfu.edu.cn

Abstract:

To evaluate the taxonomic significance of leaf epidermal micromorphological characteristics, 11 species and one variety of simple-leaved Sorbus from sect. Aria and sect. Micromeles native to China were investigated using light microscopy(LM)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The results showed that the shapes of epidermal cells wereirregular or polygonal-irregular. Anticlinal wall of polygonal cells was straight or arched, and anticlinal wall of irregular cells was arched or wavy. The area of epidermal cells varied significantly among taxa, and the size of the upper epidermal cells was larger than the lower epidermal cells. Cuticular ornaments such as ridges, striations, wrinkles, secondary thickening, thickened areas, and epicuticular waxy ornamented with crusts, granules, threads, and platelets were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Leaves were glabrous or with trichomes, and the position, color, density, and type of trichomes were important characters for the segregation of the taxa. Stomatal apparatuses were anomocytic and distributed in areole of abaxial epidermis. Guard cells had annular outer edges, with or without T-piece at stomatal pole. The cell size, length, width, area, density, and index of stomata varied significantly among taxa. Therefore, foliar epidermal micromorphology proved to be valuable for simple-leaved Sorbus taxa definition and identification.

Key words: simple-leaved Sorbus, leaf epidermis, micromorphological characteristics, taxonomic implication

CLC Number: