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Anatomy of the xeromorphic leaves of Allamanda neriifolia, Thevetia peruviana and Vinca minor (Apocynaceae)
Author(s) -
Fjell Ingemar
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
nordic journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.333
H-Index - 33
eISSN - 1756-1051
pISSN - 0107-055X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-1051.1983.tb01953.x
Subject(s) - apocynaceae , biology , botany , epidermis (zoology) , trichome , pith , petiole (insect anatomy) , anatomy , genus
The histology of the xeromorphic leaves of Allamanda nerüfolia, Thevetia peruviana and Vinca minor have been examined by LM and SEM. The most important xeromorphic characters in the leaves are thick and cutinized outer cell walls of the upper epidermis, a thick and in A. nerüfolia highly sculptured cuticle and in V, minor a two–layered palisade chlorenchyma and fiber bundles in the veins. A considerable variation occurs in characters not considered xeromorphic. The oxalate crystals in A. nerüfolia and T. peruviana differ conspicuously from each other both in shape and location. The nonarticulated laticifers are branched and located on both sides of the vascular strands in A. nerüfolia and T. peruviana , while they are unbranched and confined to the abaxial side of thehveins in V. minor. In addition attention was paid to the petiole appendages observed in the three species. When young these formations are secretory in A. nerüfolia and T. peruviana and consequently constitute colleters. The histological differentiation of the leaves is also briefly described.