LEAF ANATOMY AND MICROMORPHOLOGY OF SELECTED PLANT SPECIES IN COASTAL AREA OF KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA

Rozilawati Shahari,Che Nurul Aini Binti Che Amri,Nurul Atiqah Binti Mohammad Mokhtar

doi:10.26480/gws.02.2019.22.25

Abstract

Plant anatomy can play vital role in plant taxonomy for successfully resolve taxonomic problems among different plant species. The anatomical studies of plant species living in coastal area of Kuantan, Pahang are scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the common, variation and diagnostic characteristics of leaf anatomy and micromorphology of selected plant species collected from Balok and Sepat beach area which can give additional information for identification of species. Four species studied namely Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br., Calophyllum inophyllum L., Hibiscus tiliaceus L. and Stachytarpheta jamaicensis (L.) Vahl. Methods used were sectioning using sliding microtome, epidermal peeling and leaf micromorphology method using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The findings from this study showed that only three characteristics are similar among them which include the presence of collenchyma, sclerenchyma and mucilage cells or canals in either petiole or midrib of the leaves. Meanwhile, there are eight differences were observed which are types of stomata and trichomes, pattern of anticlinal wall and vascular bundles, type of epicuticular wax structures, cuticle ornamentations, size of epidermal cells and the presence of cell inclusions. The diagnostic characteristics identified in this study are closed-system of vascular bundle, presence of multicellular capitate glandular, 2-4 armed trichomes and 5-8 armed stellate trichomes and also flakes type of wax layers that can only be found in H. tiliaceus while 1:1 ratio size of epidermal cells can only be found in I. pes-caprae. The study reveals that leaf anatomy and micromorphology characteristics could be beneficial as an additional data for identification of species along the coastal area of Kuantan, Pahang.

Highlights

Plant anatomy is very important in plant taxonomy as the anatomical characters of vegetative and floral parts of flowering plants can successfully solve taxonomic problems and for elucidation of phylogenetic relationship [1]
The mucilage cells in I-pes-caprae, the midrib of H. tiliaceus and S. jamaicensis can be found in parenchyma cortex while mucilage cells of petiole of H. tiliaceus are present in both parenchyma cortex and vascular bundle
This study has identified that the epidermal cell outlines of I. pes-caprae, S. jamaicensis and adaxial of H. tiliaceus can be distinguishable because anticlinal wall slightly raised into ridges

Summary

Introduction

Plant anatomy is very important in plant taxonomy as the anatomical characters of vegetative and floral parts of flowering plants can successfully solve taxonomic problems and for elucidation of phylogenetic relationship [1]. Anatomical characters cannot form the basis of classification but as additional information to those external morphological characters on which classifications have been built [2]. Besides that, they stated that anatomical studies are sometimes very helpful in identifying the fragmentary material which lacked flower and fruits in the herbarium specimens. Anatomical information is required to further understand the characteristics of material like wood or fibers, the textual quality of food products or the ability of plant to resist insects or disease attacks [5]. The anatomical study of this research requires the need to understand the anatomy of the plant species that grow in the coastal area. Dunes formation requires a source of sand usually carried from the beach by onshore winds and vegetation to trap and stabilize the sand [6]

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Conclusion