Anatomic-Morphological Structure Features of Leaf Organs of Some Species of the Astragalus L. Genus in Their Ontogenesis

Abstract

Research relevance: anatomical structure study of Astragalus L. genus plants leaf organs in their ontogenesis is relevant for the reason that results obtained after study can be successfully used in solving systematic and evolutionary issues of higher plants taxonomic categories. Research objectives: to study quantitative indicator characteristics of anatomical structure of leaf organs ontogenesis in 5 species of the Astragalus L., genus belonging to different biomorphs: A. filicaulis Fisch. et C. A. Mey. ex Ledeb. (annual), A. campylorrhynchusFisch. et C. A. Mey. (annual), A. rhacodes, A. rhacodes Bunge (perennial), A. dendroides Kar. et Kir. (shrub) and A. fedtschenkoanus Lipsky (shrub) in order to establish their anatomical and morphological features, using generally accepted ontogenetic and statistical methods. Research materials and methods: Astragalus L. genus species belonging to different biomorphs planted in the soil without any pre-treatment. In plants growth care and development quantitative indicators of the morphological and anatomical structures of leaf organs and their statistical processing, generally accepted methods were used. Research results: species differ from each other in some quantitative indicators of the leaf organs structure, such as the epidermal cells size, the number of stomatal apparatus per unit area, the height of the upper and lower epidermal cells, the number of layers of mesophyll cells and the total thickness of the leaf blade. Conclusions: common feature to the studied species is that the leaf organs in ontogenesis have an amphistomatous structure.