TITLE:
Characteristics of Leaf Epidermis of 22 Lilieae (Liliaceae) under Different Altitudes in China
AUTHORS:
Genshen Yin, Shuangshuang Zhang, Wenlei Cheng, Minghua Dong, Ye Chen
KEYWORDS:
Lilieae, Leaf Epidermis, Stomatal Area, Stomatal Index, Altitudes
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.14 No.1,
January
16,
2023
ABSTRACT: In this study, 22 leaf samples of 22 Lilieae species were collected in
six Province at 90 - 3740 m
to study the variations of leaf characteristics with altitude change. The
Qualitative character of leaf epidermis and two stomatal indexes, viz. stomatal
area (SA), stomatal index (SI), were
analyzed in laboratory. The results show that: 1) the shape of the leaf
epidermis cells and the pattern of the anticlinal walls provide some useful
taxonomic information to distinguish the genus, however, none of the stable
traits are exclusive to a genus; 2) there are
significant or even very significant linear correlations between the two indexes and altitude, of which SA exhibit a negative correlation with altitude
(r2 = 0.294, p = 0.009), while SI exhibit a positive
correlation with altitude (r2 = -0.254, p = 0.017). As
a result, the pattern of leaf cells and anticlinal walls is influenced by
genetic factors, while the stomatal area and stomatal index are influenced by
environmental factors. Members of the tribe Lilieae have a relatively stable
elevation range, which is related to their long-term adaptation to the local
environment in the structure of their leaf epidermis.