Anatomía de los órganos subterráneos de cuatro Dicotiledóneas medicinales rioplatenses (Argentina). II. Plantas palustres

Abstract

Perrotta, Vanesa G.; Marcelo P. Hernandez; Ana M. Arambarri. 2017. “Anatomy of the underground organs of the four Dicotyledons medicinal plants on the Rio de la Plata shore (Argentina). II. Marsh plants”. Lilloa 54 (2). The paper presents morphology-anatomy and histochemical data of the underground organs of four marshy species of Dicotyledons used in the Rio de la Plata folk medicine. They are: Alternanthera philoxeroides, Eryngium pandanifolium, Ludwigia peploides y Senecio bonariensis. The aim of this study was to obtain structural characteristics of the rhizome and roots, and identified chemical com- pounds that allow differentiation of taxa, facilitating the identification of whole or fragmented samples of organs used in folk medicine. Fresh material was collected in the study area. Specimens were prepared and included in the LPAG herbarium, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Rhizomes and roots samples were fixed in conservation liquid. Slides were made and analyzed with a light microscope. Histochemical analysis to recognize starch, mucilage, lipophilic substances, and tannins were performed. The diagnoses structural features were: cortical parenchyma type; secondary vascular tis- sue development; presence of secretory tissue, and crystal types. A comparative table with histochemical results and a dichotomous key using micrographic rhizome and root characters were generated to get a valuable tool to establish authenticity of botany quality control.