Comparative Anatomy of Some Ficus Species

Abstract

The wood anatomy of seven species of Ficus: F. ingens, F. exasperata, F. vallischoudae, F. vogelina, F. muccuso, F. elastica and F. indica of Moraceae from Nigeria was investigated and described. Some interesting observations were made about the genus which distinguished the wood species under study from one another, such features include crystals and silica inclusions; sizes of rays, vessels and fibres. F. elasitca possessed narrowest rays and lacked any crystal inclusion. F.ingens had few fibres and possessed silica aggregates. Fibres were abundant in F. vallischoudae as observed at the transverse section. F. exasperata contained the smallest vessel size and its pores were more abundant than any of the other wood species under study, but fewer vessels were observed in F. muccuso, and F. indica. Septate fibres were observed in F. vallischoudae and F. vogelina. Rhomboidal crystals were observed in all the wood species except in F. elasitca, though they were rare in F. vogelina and F.muccuso. These anatomical features were therefore brought to the fore as possible taxonomic significance and diagnostic value. Photo micrographs prepared from three sections namely transverse section, tangential longitudinal section and radial longitudinal section were also presented in this study.