Stomatogenesis in the genus Hibiscus L. (Malvaceae)

Abstract

In Hibiscus, stomata are anisocytic, anomocytic, paracytic and tetracytic, the first type being the most frequent and occurring in all plant parts in the ten species studied, whereas the others are scarce and have a limited organographic distribution. The stem, petiole, pedicel, staminal tube, ovary and style are stomatiferous; the leaf-blade, stipule, bracteole and sepals are amphistomatic and petals hypostomatic in the species investigated. The stomatal types are often homoplastic, the anisocytic being either mesogenous trilabrate or mesoperigenous dolabrate, the anomocytic, mesoperigenous dolabrate or mesogenous trilabrate, and the tetracytic, mesoperigenous dolabrate or mesoperigenous trilabrate. But the typical paracytic stomata (with the subsidiaries completely enclosing the poles) are constantly mesogenous dolabrate and therefore probably indicate mesogenous dolabrate development. Although several patterns of stomatogenesis are encountered in any specific organ, only one of them is found to be dominant. A new subcategory of stomatal ontogeny, mesoperigenous trilabrate, is proposed in Hibiscus. No significant stomatal variation involving reduction in the divisive capacity of the meristemoid has been observed from the vegetative to floral parts; and stomata functioning as hydathodes have not been noticed in the latter, thus indicating that florogenic factors have no effect on the stomata.