[SEM observation on leaf epidermis of different Ephedra species].
OBJECTIVE
Characters of stem epidermis, leaf epidermis and stoma could be used as important microcosmic morphological characteristic when inheritance trend is studied in Ephedra breeding and identification.


METHODS
The stomatic density, stoma major axis and mimor axis, stomatic morphylogy, characters of leaf and stem epidermis of 6 Ephedra plants' stems were examined by SEM.


RESULTS
The stomatic density and characteristic of leaf epidermis and stem epidermis in six Ephedra species was differenc, there were no obvious morphological differences in stoma shape and size. The guard cells were covered with heavy cuticle and sunken stomata, which were the typical characteristics of xerophytes. The stomas of leaf lower epidermis were oblong or hexagon, but the stomas of steam epidermis were narrowed-oblong or dumbbell-shape, they all belonged to anomalous type.


CONCLUSIONS
The stoma type and characters of Ephedra plants is stable and conservative, there was no obvious morphological differences in stoma shape and size between species, so it is difficult to distinguish different species by the variance of stomas, but that can be applyed to distinguish Ephedra from others at plant taxonomy.
Wu
Ji-Ling
JL
College of Life Sciences & Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
Niu
Jun-Yi
JY
Yan
Zi-Zhu
ZZ
Li
Sheng
S
Gao
Yu-Hong
YH
Jiang
Han-Yu
HY
D029789:Ephedra / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D019441:Plant Epidermis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000648:ultrastructure; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013045:Species Specificity