TITLE:
Taxonomic Significance of Foliar Epidermal Characters in Azanza garckaena (F. Hoffm.) Exell & Hillc in Tula, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
H. M. Abba, H. Daniel, S. Sale, D. A. Zhigila
KEYWORDS:
Azanza garckeana, Dendritic Trichome, Epiamphistomatic, Anomocytic
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.9 No.8,
July
20,
2018
ABSTRACT: Leaf
epidermal microscopy of Azanza garckeana was studied in search of stable taxonomic characters and
delimitation of the plant. Fresh leaves were obtained from 3 accessions
in Tula: Tula Wange, Tula Baule and Tula Yiri/Bwaile respectively. Leaf
epidermal peels of both surfaces of the plant were made using free hand
sectioning and maceration methods. Temporary slides were prepared for
observations under light microscope to examine their stomatal features,
epidermal cell shapes, and anticlinal cell-wall patterns. The result revealed
epiamphistomatic leaves, Stomatal complex type (SCT) was exclusively
anomocytic, epidermal cell shapes were all irregular in shape, with curved anticlinal cell
wall patterns. There
was no significant difference on the abaxial surface across all the parameters
at all accessions but significant difference exists (P ≤ 0.05)
on some characters on the adaxial surfaces. The Stomatal density was the highest on the adaxial surface of accession I (23.67
± 4.04a) and the lowest
on the adaxial surface of accession II (13.33 ± 2.08b mm2).
The Stomatal sizes of abaxial surface of accession I was the highest (45.49 ± 3.73
μm), while adaxial surface of accession III showed the lowest (24.98 ± 2.27a
μm). The Stomatal index was the highest
(7.42 ± 2.30a) on the adaxial surface of accession I, and the lowest (4.23 ±
0.20b) on the
abaxial surface of accession II. It was concluded that there were similarity of anomocytic type of stomata, small and large stomatal
sizes, presence of dendritic trichomes,
irregular and curved epidermal cells on both leaf surfaces, and variations in the stomatal index within all the accessions. Although
these variations are good and reliable taxonomic features of the accessions.
More taxonomic tools are required for the delimitation of the accessions into
distinct taxa.