Occurrence and Development of a Dorsal Gland in the Leaves of Twelve Cultivars of Ficus benjamina L. (Weeping Fig)

Abstract

Ficus benjamina plants are an integral part of most modern interior landscapes. Reports from growers and interiorscape managers have drawn attention to a specific problem related to large F. benjamina plants, namely the occurrence of a dark oval spot on the abaxial surface of the leaf base. Twelve cultivars of F. benjamina were examined: Christine, Citation, Florida Spire, Kelly, Kiki, Midnight, Monique, Stacey, Wintergreen, Dwarf Nikita, Spearmint, and Starlight. Anatomically, the dorsal gland consisted of one to several layers of densely stained, columnar cells. Positive colorimetric reaction for phenolics was obtained in the glandular cells. Developmentally, the gland cells could not be distinguished from the regular epidermal cells until ≈30% of final leaf size was reached. The cells of the outermost glandular layer changed shape from rectangular with long axis parallel to the leaf surface to elongate with long axis perpendicular to the surface. In a mature leaf, the thickness of the glandular layer was between 20 and 30 μm. Externally, at this stage, no dark spot, indicative of the gland's location, could be observed. In older leaves, however, an accumulation of phenolic substances led to appearance of dorsal dark spot. All cultivars possessed glandular layer. However, this area did not darken in all cultivars; Christine, Citation, Florida Spire, Kelly, Kiki, and Stacey developed small dark spots, while Dwarf Nikita and Starlight had numerous, well-pronounced glandular regions. This study showed that the dark spots in F. benjamina cultivars were a normal morphological feature. Although the gland was present in every cultivar, only a few cultivars developed a dark color.