Leaf blade anatomy and ultrastructure of six Simira species (Rubiaceae) from the Atlantic rain forest, Brazil.
Simira is a predominantly woody Neotropical genus comprising 41 taxa, 16 of which occur in Brazil and eight of them in the southeastern region of Brazil. Leaf blades of Simira eliezeriana Peixoto, S. glaziovii (K. Schum.) Steyem., S. grazielae Peixoto, S. pikia (K. Schum.) Steyerm., S. rubra (Mart.) Steyerm., S. sampaioana (Standl.) Steyerm. were collected in the southeastern region of Brazil and fixed according to usual methods for light and electron microscopy. The leaf blades show typical characteristics of the Rubiaceae family as dorsiventral mesophyll and paracytic stomata. The presence of two bundle sheaths that extend to the upper epidermal layer, prismatic crystal and crystal-sand, alkaloids in the mesophyll and the organization micromorphological of the outer periclinal wall are considered characteristics representative for the genus. This study also demonstrates some leaf blade characteristics that can be used to Simira species identification (leaf surface, domatia types, epicuticular wax types and patterns of epidermis anticlinal cell walls).
Moraes
Tarsila Maria da Silva
TM
Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
Barros
Claudia Franca
CF
Silva Neto
Sebastião José
SJ
Gomes
Valdirene Moreira
VM
Da Cunha
Maura
M
D001938:Brazil; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019666:Rubiaceae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000648:ultrastructure
D010940:Plant Proteins