Stomatal features and humidification potentials of Borassus aethiopum, Oreodoxa regia and Cocos nucifera.

Abstract

The atmosphere contains water vapors which humidifies it and later condenses in order to form cloud and subsequently rainfall. The falling of rain is an inevitably necessary thing for plants and animals, which in turn release water back to the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. Larger portion of water is obtained in the atmosphere through plant transpiration. Transpiration rate is relatively regulated by the opening and closing processes of stomata located on the leaf surfaces. Leaves of Borassus aethiopum, Oreodoxa regia and Cocos nucifera are hypoamphistomatic, epiamphistomatic and hypostomatic respectively. Tetracytic stomata were present in B. aethiopum and O. regia and paracytic stomata in C. nucifera. Stomatal size and density show differences from one species to another as feature, which influences rate of transpiration. O. regia has more stomata on its adaxial surface than abaxial (hypoamphistomatic), tetracytic stomata, large stomata and high stomatal density transpired at faster rate (7.63x10 -5 mol/m 2 /s) and humidifies the atmosphere faster than C. nucifera with paracytic stomata which were restricted to adaxial surface.