Epidermal micromorphology of the genus Festuca L. (Poaceae) in the Iberian Peninsula

Abstract

Micromorphological features of the leaf-blade, lemma, and palea were examined under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for 64 species of the genus Festuca L. occurring in the Iberian Peninsula. The objective of the study was to survey these characters for the first time in the whole of the genus Festuca in this region, to assess their taxonomic value, and to compare the variation with recent DNA sequence-based phylogenies. The principal features include the frequency, shape, and distribution of silica bodies, short cells, crown cells, and prickles, and the morphology of long cells. The abaxial lemma surface shows the most important taxonomical and phylogenetic characters. The variation observed was consistent with the subgenera and sections identified in molecular studies.