Root anatomy of some species of Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae) and formation of successive cambia

Abstract

The root anatomy of 12 Amaranthus taxa (Amaranthaceae) was studied. The internal structures were evaluated as an anatomical character to clarify the taxonomic complexity in the genus. Transactions of young roots of the studied species showed no variations. While the old roots examination revealed differences in the products of the secondary thickening and their distribution, also differences in the anomalous cambium products were detected. Twelve characters with 26 character stats were used to generate anatomical key using the DELTA key-generating programs.