Anatomical features of three perennial swampy plants of Poaceae, grown on the water stream banks in Nile Delta, Egypt

Abstract

The anatomical structure of plants is largely varied according to genetics as well as the environmental conditions. The present study aims to describe the anatomical features of three species of family Poaceae growing naturally in canal bank habitat namely: Arundo donax, Pennisetum setaceum and Saccharum spontaneum. These plants are referred as medicinal, grazing or fiber producing plants. Samples were obtained from the canal banks in Nile delta of Egypt. The samples were fixed in formalin-aceto-alcohol and cross sections were prepared, examined using full automatic Olympus microscope and photographed at different power. In the present study, regarding leaves, the general appearance of the leaves sections showed either flat or V-shaped blade. The leaf blades of the three plants show a typical monocot organization. The mesophyll cells showed no distinct differentiation into palisade or spongy tissue. In P. setaceum and S. spontaneum, the leaves have distinct bulliform cells which enable the leaf to fold or roll. The vascular bundles of leaves are collateral, closed, numerous and diffuse in distribution. The vascular bundles are larger in size and surrounded by a sheath of fibers. However, the cross-section of the stem is more or less circular. Ground tissue is parenchymatous and not differentiated into cortex and pith in P. setaceum and S. spontaneum, while A. donax has large hollow pith. The bundles are collateral and are usually surrounded by a sclerenchymatous sheath.