Abstract
This study investigated the foliar anatomy and venation patterns of thirteen species of the genus Diospyros in Nigeria with a view to identifying characters of great taxonomic value in the genus. Plant collections were made from different locations in Southwest Nigeria and the site of collection geo-referenced with a GPS device. Samples were identified at the Herbarium of Botany Department, Obafemi Awolowo University (IFE). Voucher Specimens were deposited in the herbarium and voucher number assigned to each of the species. The samples were subjected to foliar epidermal and venation examinations. Qualitative data were recorded as the quantitative data were subjected to statistical analysis and the characters vary significantly (P = 0.05). Epidermal and venation characters which separate the taxa include stomata type, size and index, shape and size of epidermal cell, trichome type, presence/absence of crystal/druses, as well as venation. Paxillate venation in D. suaveolens is diagnostic for the species. The presence of parenchymatous sheath over the veins and veinlets in D. tricolor is a spot character. The study reveals that leaf epidermal and venation characters are important in delimitation of species in the genus Diospyros.
Highlights
The genus Diospyros belongs to the family Ebenaceae (Ebony family)
Collection of plants was made from different locations in Southwest Nigeria and the site of collection was georeferenced with a GPS device (Table 1, Figure 1)
Epidermal cells ranges from triangular to pentagonal with wavy anticlinal walls, anticlinal walls sometimes straight, epidermal cell size ranges between 11.00-24.60 μm long and 6.60-19.80 μm wide, epidermal cell ranges between 112 to 130mm-2, stomata type is cyclocytic, guard cell mostly circular occasionally elliptic, mean stomata size 67.0 ± 2.8 μm long and 47.0 ± 2.0 μm wide, stomata frequency 10-15 mm-2, mean stomata index is 10.45% (Figure 3A)
Summary
Ebenaceae is pantropical in distribution with about 500 species (Wallnofer, 2001). They are mainly represented by trees and shrubs with most species evergreen, but some are deciduous (Halle et al, 1978). Male flowers of a given species by far outnumber the females. White (1983) posited that fruits of some African species of Diospyros sect. In no species of Ebenaceae, is the fruit completely and spontaneously dehiscent. Ebenaceae are the source of several economically important products, the most valuable being their fruits and timber (ebony) and the genus Diospyros is best known for producing dense black wood (ebony) and tasty fruit
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