Abstract
Medicinal plants have been used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Adulteration is a prime concern in herbal medicine for which proper scientific characterization of specific plant part is essential. The Asteraceae or Sunflower family is a very large and widespread family of flowering plants. Many species possess medicinal properties and are used as traditional antiparasitic medicine. The Commelinaceae or dayflower family is a family of flowering plants with 40 genera and 650 species worldwide. Leaves of some members of this family are used for eye treatment, like pain killers, etc. In this study, characterization of some medicinally important plant species (Vernonia amygdalina Del., V. cinerea Less., V. hymenolepis A. Rich., Tradescantia pallida (Rose) D. R. Hunt., T. fluminensis Vell., Commelina benghalensis Linn. and Commelina erecta L.) was carried out. This study aimed at examining the anatomy of the vegetative organs of which are used in popular medicine, thereby, contributing to the pharmacognostic evaluation of the species. The number of vascular bundles and ground tissues varies, which is taxonomically important. The stem and leaf anatomy of species of Tradescantia and Commelina studied also showed marked similarities; all have one layer of epidermis and endodermis. Bundle sheaths surround the vascular bundles which were scattered within modified parenchyma (chlorenchyma) common to all the species. They have distinct numbers of stem vascular bundles, presence of multi-cellular non-glandular covering trichomes on the epidermal layers. Anatomical features of the plant parts were found useful for correct easy identification and contribute to the pharmacognostic evaluation of the species.
Published Version
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