ANATOMICAL STRUCTURE STUDY OF Solanum torvum Sw.

ABSTRACT: The most widely used herbicide in coffee crop is glyphosate, it inhibits the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, responsible for structures and substances of plant defense. This work aimed to evaluate the morphoanatomy, total phenols, flavonoids and caffeine in leaves of Arabica coffee submitted to different sub-doses of glyphosate. The treatments were combinations of three coffee cultivars (MGS Travessia, Oeiras MG 6851 and Catuaí IAC 144) and five sub-doses of glyphosate (0.0, 57.6, 115.2, 230.4 and 460.8 g a.e. ha-1). The total thickness of the leaf blade, thickness of adaxial and abaxial epidermis, palisade and spongy parenchyma, in addition to the total phenol, total flavonoids and caffeine were evaluated 30 days after spraying. Catuaí showed a reduction in the total leaf thickness, while the others cultivars had an increase. The thickness of adaxial and abaxial epidermis and palisade parenchyma was reduced, and the spongy parenchyma increased with increasing doses of glyphosate, regardless of the cultivars. There was an increase on the total phenols up to 115.2 g ha-1 glyphosate, and above this dose, the concentrations of phenols were reduced. The Travessia and Oeiras cultivars obtained a reduction of flavonoids up to 115.2 g ha-1; and above this dose, the concentration of flavonoids increased. The Catuaí cultivar showed an opposing behavior of the concentration of flavonoids. Oeiras and Catuaí showed a decrease of caffeine up to 115.2 g ha-1 and an increase at higher doses. Travessia showed an increase of caffeine in sub-doses above 115.2 g ha-1. The three cultivars showed a higher concentration of phenols in the palisade parenchyma after the application of glyphosate drift. Glyphosate reduces the thickness of the adaxial and abaxial epidermis and palisade parenchyma, and increases the thickness of spongy parenchyma. Doses of glyphosate above 230.4 g ha-1 result in the reduction of total phenols. The concentration of flavonoids and caffeine has varying effects with glyphosate application.

Relative rates of photosynthesis in the palisade and spongy parenchyma were found to be dependent upon the intensity of incident photosynthetically active radiation. The rate of photosynthesis in the spongy parenchyma relative to the rate in the palisade parenchyma increased with increasing light intensity. We attribute this behaviour to shading of the spongy parenchyma by palisade parenchyma. The kinetics of photosynthetic carbon metabolism were qualitatively similar in the two tissues. Immediately after a 6-s 14CO2 pulse, phosphoglyceric acid plus sugar phosphates represented about 85 % of the 14C in the water-soluble compounds in both the palisade and spongy parenchyma, and were the only compounds in which radioactivity declined. Sucrose was the main end-product of photosynthesis and represented 30% of the water-soluble radioactivity after 104 s in both these tissues. Other compounds (phosphoglycollic acid plus phosphoenolpyruvic acid, malic acid plus glyceric acid, and alanine) represented smaller, similar amounts of radioactivity in each tissue. A higher proportion of activity due to 14C-labelled (glycine plus serine) in the water-soluble fraction of the spongy parenchyma may reflect a difference in the proportion of photosynthate being respired there.

Abstract— Reflective light properties of various tissue layers (adaxial epidermis, palisade and spongy parenchyma and abaxial epidermis) of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) leaves were measured using paradermal (parallel to epidermis) and transverse sections in the visible and infrared spectral bands by a high‐resolution reflectance cytophotometer. Results showed an increment of reflectances of rest leaves following successive removal of paradermal tissue layers (adaxial epidermis, palisade parenchyma, abaxial epidermis). Reflectances of palisade parenchyma with spongy parenchyma and abaxial epidermis increased linearly in the infrared and green spectral bands with increasing chloroplast count. The enhancement of paradermal reflectances with successive removal of paradermal tissue layers was due to various optical effects of tissue/cell layers, whereby removal of paradermal tissue layers containing light absorbers, e.g. chloroplasts/chlorophyll‐protein complexes, is of importance. The parabolic relationships found between lateral reflectances and distances of various tissue/cell layers from adaxial epidermis indicated lateral reflectances of the mesophyll to be governed mainly by selective chlorophyll absorb‐ances of light according to Lambert‐Beer's law.

The morphological and anatomical studies of Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. from Nigeria was carried out with the view to reporting morphological and anatomical characteristics for the first time. Physical and microscopic (microtomy) observations were used. B. hispida is a monoecious climbing or trailing herb, stem hairy, 5-angled, with suborbicular stipuliform bract at the petiole-base; leaves simple, very hairy on both surface, alternate, blade palmately or ovate in young plant, base cordate. Flowering occurs between April and May. Female flowers solitary, male flowers solitary or in a slender-pedunculate racemes, petals-5, cream, yellow or pale yellow, ovary ellipsoid, ovules many, stigma 3-lobed and stamen 3. Fruits are large, weighs 8.5 - 9.0 kg, succulent, densely hairy when young, with a thick waxy deposit when mature, cylindrical to oblong with hairy stalk. Seeds are ovate-obovate, cream. Leaves and petals of male flower are amphistomatic with anomocytic, tetracytic and anisocytic stomata while petals of the female flower are hypostomatic with anomocytic stomata only on the abaxial surface. It has glandular and non-glandular trichomes with uniseriate stalk, clavate and multicellular gland heads. The midrib, petiole, stem, tendril, male and female flower stalks and tendril have hollow pith with 3, 9, 6-7, 16, 14 and 10 bicollateral vascular bundles respectively. The percentage crude protein, ash, carbohydrate, lipid, crude fibre, alkaloid, flavonoid, tannin and phytate could account for the numerous medicinal properties.

Fifteen Acer species were examined to study distribution and percentage by area of their libriform fibers. Safranin-O and astra blue dissolved in alcohol solution is an effective differential staining method to identify and localize libriform fibers. They have larger lumens than fiber tracheids, intercellular spaces, and occur in various patterns, ranging from large groups to wavy bands. In some cases they occur in radial files. The percentage by area of libriform fibers ranges from 14 to 40%. Inconspicuous to moderately visible spiral thickenings are part of the Acer libriform fibers and fiber tracheids. Differences in stain reactions and fluorescence indicate that libriform fibers differ in lignin concentration or composition from fiber tracheids – the concentration of syringyl lignin is greater in libriform fibers.

For the recovery of a degraded area to occur in a satisfactory way, it is essential to elucidate the ecology of native tree species. This study aimed to evaluate the morpho-anatomical response of P. lambertii after 18 months of deployment in different conditions of light, considering as a factor of change areas with different degrees of succession on margins of the Iraí Reservoir, at the time of establishment of the experiment. For this, aspects of morphology (leaf area, dry weight, specific leaf area, stomatal density), anatomy (thickness of cuticle, adaxial epidermis, palisade parenchyma, transfusion parenchyma, spongy parenchyma, abaxial epidermis and total thickness) and development (height, diameter and survival) were evaluated. The results showed that P. lambertii made a significant difference to the leaf area, being higher for individuals of regenerating forestry. For the stomatal density, cuticle thickness, palisade and spongy parenchyma, total thickness, height and diameter were significantly higher for individuals in the open field. The rate of survival was similar for both areas. Thus, P. lambertii under the conditions of this study has proved itself able to adapt to conditions that have either greater or lesser availability of irradiance. However, it presents a more satisfactory development in conditions of intermediate light.

The leaf epidermis of 14 species ofCodonanthe and 10 species of Nematanthus has been examined. Species of Codonanthe section Codonanthe are geographically restricted to south-eastern Brazil, and are diploid. They possess multicellular-uniseriate nonglandular trichomes, glandular trichomes with a four-celled head and a short body, anisocytic stomata and lack extrafloral nectaries. Species of Codonanthe section Spathuliformae and Codonanthe subgenus Codonanthella are distributed from southern Mexico through Central America to north-western South America and are tetraploid. They possess unicellular non-glandular trichomes (except C. caribaea), glandular trichomes with a two-celled head (except C. caribaea) and a short body, anisocytic stomata and extrafloral nectaries (except C. caribaea). All Nematanthus species are distributed in south-eastern Brazil and are diploid (N=8). Six species of Nematanthus consistently have multicellular-uniseriate nonglandular trichomes, glandular trichomes with a four-celled head and a short (unicellular) or long (multicellular) body, anisocytic stomata and lack extrafloral nectaries. Four species of Nematanthus have multicellular-uniseriate non-glandular trichomes, glandular trichomes with a head of more than four cells and a short body, anisocytic and helicocytic stomata and lack extrafloral nectaries.

The leaf anatomy of 14 secondary and 17 primary tree species was studied in a 30 yr old secondary, montane Quercus forest in the Costa Rican Cordillera de Talamanca. On the average, foliar tissues are thicker in secondary species, due to the high proportion of spongy parenchyma for water storage. In secondary species the mean lamina thickness was 249.5 J.l.m and the mean thicknesses of palisade and spongy parenchyma were 85.8 J.l.m and 133.9 J.l.m, respectively. In primary species the mean lamina thickness was 220.7 J.l.m and the mean thicknesses of palisade and spongy parenchyma were 75.7 J.l.m and 107.9 J.l.m, respectively. TIte non-palisade parenchyma / palisade parenchyma ratio was slightly higher for secondary species. TIte thickness of palisade parenchyma and spongy parenchyma were significantly correlated for both primary and secondary species. Lamina thickness was significantly correlated with thickness of palisade parenchyma and spongy parenchyma for primary species only. Leaf anatornical values measured for this montane secondary forest fall mainIy within the ranges known from montane primary forests in other tropical countries.

Structural characteristics of the mesophyll were studied in five boreal grass species experiencing a wide range of light and water supply conditions. Quantitative indices of the palisade and spongy mesophyll tissues (cell and chloroplast sizes, the number of chloroplasts per cell, the total cell and chloroplast surface area per unit leaf surface area) were determined in leaves of each of the species. The cell surface area and the cell volume in spongy mesophyll were determined with a novel method based on stereological analysis of cell projections. An important role of spongy parenchyma in the photosynthetic apparatus was demonstrated. In leaves of the species studied, the spongy parenchyma constituted about 50% of the total volume and 40% of the total surface area of mesophyll cells. The proportion of the palisade to spongy mesophyll tissues varied with plant species and growth conditions. In a xerophyte Genista tinctoria, the total cell volume, cell abundance, and the total surface area of cells and chloroplasts were 30–40% larger in the palisade than in the spongy mesophyll. In contrast, in a shade-loving species Veronica chamaedris, the spongy mesophyll was 1.5–2 times more developed than the palisade mesophyll. In mesophyte species grown under high light conditions, the cell abundance and the total cell surface area were 10–20% greater in the palisade mesophyll than in the spongy parenchyma. In shaded habitats, these indices were similar in the palisade and spongy mesophyll or were 10–20% lower in the palisade mesophyll. In mesophytes, CO2 conductance of the spongy mesophyll accounted for about 50% of the total mesophyll conductance, as calculated from the structural characteristics, with the mesophyll CO2 conductance increasing with leaf shading.

Ceratonia siliqua L. (carob tree) is an endemic plant to the eastern Mediterranean region. In the present study, anatomical and physiological traits of successively grown compound leaves (i.e., the first, third, fifth and seventh leaves) of C. siliqua were investigated in an attempt to evaluate their growth under urban and suburban environmental conditions. Chlorophyll and phenolic content, as well as the specific leaf area of the compound leaves were determined. Structural traits of leaflets (i.e., thickness of palisade and spongy parenchyma, abaxial and adaxial epidermis, as well as abaxial and adaxial periclinal wall) were also investigated in expanding and fully expanded leaflets. Fully expanded leaflets from urban sites exhibited increased thickness of the lamina and the palisade parenchyma, while the thickness of the spongy parenchyma was thicker in suburban specimens. The palisade tissue was less extended than the spongy tissue in expanding leaflets, while the opposite held true for the expanded leaflets. Moreover, the thickness of the adaxial and the abaxial epidermises, as well as the adaxial and abaxial periclinal wall were higher in suburban leaflets. The chlorophyll content increased concomitantly with the specific leaf area (SLA) of both expanding and expanded leaflets, and strong positive correlations were detected, while the phenolic content declined with the increased SLA of expanding and expanded leaflets. It is noteworthy that the SLA of expanding leaflets in the suburban site was comparable to the SLA of expanded leaflets experiencing air pollution in urban sites; the size and the mass of leaf blades of C. siliqua possess adaptive features to air pollution. These results, linked to the functional structure of expanding and expanded successive foliar tissues, provide valuable assessment information coordinated with an adaptive process and yield of carob trees exposed to the considered ambient conditions, which have not hitherto been published.

Pharmacognostical and physicochemical investigation of the leaf of Calamintha officinalis moench

Baccharis cylindrica (Less.) DC. (Asteraceae) is a three-winged stem species, which belongs to the Trimera group and is commonly named as carqueja, as well as several other species of Baccharis. It is employed in the traditional medicine as stomachic and diuretic. This work has carried out the stem morpho-anatomical analysis of the medicinal plant, in order to contribute to its identification and to the knowledge for the Trimera group. Stem fragments were collected, fixed and prepared according to usual optical and scanning electron microtechniques. The epidermis is uniseriate, coated by striated cuticle and has anomocytic stomata, pluricellular glandular and non-glandular trichomes. In the wings, chlorenchyma, composed of palisade parenchyma beneath both epidermal faces and spongy parenchyma in the middle, and collateral vascular bundles are seen. In the stem axis, angular collenchyma alternating with chlorenchyma, included phloem, secretory ducts and calcium oxalate styloids are also observed.

Abstract. The anatomical features of the leaves are susceptible to environmental factors and, therefore, are very plastic in their development. However, how these indicators differ depending on the influence of environmental factors remains unclear, especially with regard to plants growing in agrocenoses. The purpose of our research is to study the variability of anatomical and morphological parameters of Weigela leaves depending on the growing conditions. We have studied the anatomical structure of Weigela leaves in various ecological growing conditions: in the botanical garden "Tree of Friendship" of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Subtropical Botanical Garden of Kuban (SBGK), according to a set of anatomical and morphological parameters (leaf blade thickness, development of the palisade and spongy parenchyma, upper and lower epidermis). To do this, the leaves of different ecotypes were studied: those growing in a well-lit (average illumination of 53,000 lux) area of the botanical garden "Tree of Friendship" and under the canopy of trees (illumination of 28,000 lux) in the Subtropical Botanical Garden of Kuban (SBGK, Sochi). Our results showed that the anatomical features of weigela leaves vary in varieties depending on their growing places. It is shown that the highest values (thickness: leaf, palisade and spongy parenchyma, lower and upper epidermis) in various environmental conditions were noted in the variety 'Mont Blanc', and the lowest in 'Eva Ratke'. It is noted that the palisade parenchyma is most developed in the 'Mont Blanc' variety, both in conditions of full illumination (84.7±2.9 microns) and in shading (62.2±2.6 microns). The lowest values were obtained for the ‘Eva Ratke’ variety, while a decrease in the thickness of the front garden fabric was noted in full light conditions (33.7±2.4 microns) and an increase in shade (36.3±3.1 microns). Key words: Weigela, anatomical parameters, leaves, illumination, mesophyll cells, palisade parenchyma, stomata

Yacon is the common name of the perennial herb native to the Andes, Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp. ) H. Rob. (Asteraceae), cultivated in different countries as food and medicinal resource. Fleshy roots and aerial vegetative organs are often used in the treatment of diabetes. This work has aimed to study the anatomical characters of the leaf and stem, aiming to supply information for microscopic identification of the pharmacognostic quality control. The botanical material was fixed and prepared according to standard techniques of light and scanning electron microscopy. The leaf is amphistomatic, predominantly with anomocytic stomata. Non-glandular and glandular trichomes are present, being the former multicellular and uniseriate. The glandular ones are short and multicellular, with two series of cells. The mesophyll is dorsiventral and the midrib has various collateral vascular bundles in centric arrangement. The young stem has remaining epidermis, angular collenchyma, cortical parenchyma, endodermis and continuous cylinders of phloem and xylem. Secretory ducts are found in the leaf and stem. The assembled characters, such as non-glandular and glandular trichomes as well as secretory ducts and endodermis with Casparian strips, are useful for the quality control of this species.

Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae), commonly known as „drumstick tree“ or „horse radish tree“ is native to north India but is now found throughout the tropics. Leaves of this high medicinal value plant have been reported to have antihypercholesterolemic action [1] and those with other risk factor, such as hypertension [2] or diabetes mellitus [3]. Reports have also described the plant to be highly potent anti-inflammatory agent, antitumour activity and hepatoprotective against antitubercular drugs such as isoniazid and rifampicin [4]. Many uses for leaves include: biogas, green manure, domestic cleaning agent, biopesticide and it is particularly useful as a human food [5]. Our work aims to set M. oleifera leaf botanical identification parameters to the whole, fragmentized and powdered plant material by means of light and scanning electron microscopy. The most useful micrographic parameters observed on the leaf are: A bilateral organization with 1–2 cell layers of palisade tissue on the upper epidermis and spongy parenchyma with a small intercellular space volume on the lower epidermis; a surface showing a slightly sinuous cuticle in both epidermises; anomocytic stomata with an irregular distribution, surrounded by 4 to 6 subsidiary cells; calcium oxalate cluster crystals on the palisade parenchyma; gland canals in the parenchyma central veins; unicellular non-glandular trichomes scarce. The powdered material is characterized by the presence of fragments containing the above-named structures. Results of this study will be very useful in the identification of this medicinal and edible plant as raw material for use by the pharmaceutical and alimentary industry.