Studies on the Leaf Epidermis and Midrib of Some Species of Vernonia Schreb
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54162 Otoide, J. E. et al./ Elixir Bio Tech 140 (2020) 54162-54166 Available online at www.elixirpublishers.com (Elixir International Journal) Bio Technology Elixir Bio Tech 140 (2020) 54162-54166 Studies on the Leaf Epidermis and Midrib of Some Species of Vernonia Schreb. in Nigeria Otoide, J.E.*1, Ihinmikaiye, S.O.2 and Otoide, T.F3 1 Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State. 3 Science Education Laboratory, Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT The leaf epidermis and midrib of Vernonia amygdalina, V. cinerea, V. perrottetii and V. Article history: adoensis were studied following standard procedures and features were observed with the Received: 13 January 2020; aid of compound microscope. To the authors’ knowledge, the leaf and midrib anatomical Received in revised form: features of V. adoensis and V. perrottetii are being comprehensively and adequately 27 February 2020; documented for the first time. The results obtained revealed that the four species were Accepted: 7 March 2020; hypoamphistomatic with anomocytic type of stomata. Stomata Index (%) was higher at the lower epidermis than the upper epidermis with V. amygdalina having 35.00 as the Keywords highest and V. perrottetii having 31.00 as the lowest. Similarly, the highest width (µm) of Epidermal cells, stomata was found in the upper epidermis of V. adoensis having an average of 73.22 ± Bundles, 21.77 while the lowest was 22.46 ± 2.47 as found in the lower epidermis of V. adoensis. Vernonia, Highest stomata length (µm) of 81.46 ± 22.38 was also recorded in upper leaf epidermis Leaves, of V. adoensis while lowest length of 30.43 ± 4.26 was recorded in its lower epidermis. µm, In the four species, epidermal cells were predominantly irregular in shapes with Anomocytic. predominantly sinuous anticlinal and periclinal walls. In another vein, the midribs were oblong in outline consisting of collateral and open bundles arranged in ring-like pattern except in V. perrottetii in which the bundles were concentric, amphicribral, collateral and close. Based on the overwhelming similarities that existed among the four taxa, it was established that there exist interspecies relationship among them. In conclusion, it was opined that the minor and discontinuous differences in the anatomical features of the four species are insufficient to adjudge their rearrangement and repositioning to separate genus and that their present taxonomic status are unbiased and warranted. © 2020 Elixir All rights reserved. Introduction infusion is taken for stomach-pains and for tuberculosis and According to Kemka-Evans et. al. (2014), Vernonia fresh roots sliced and cooked with milk and flour for Schreb. belongs to the tribe Vernonieae of the family gonorrhoea. The Sukuma cut up and soak the fresh roots for a Asteraceae (Compositae). The family Asteraceae is the short time in water which is used to wash white blotches, largest family of the flowering plants, comprising 950 genera, which feel a little ‘soapy’, on the skin of children (Burkill, and 23,000 species. Olorode (1984) noted that the family 1985). Vernonia perrottetii. Sch. Bip. is an erect much Asteraceae possesses simple leaves with alternate or opposite branched annual herb measuring about 24-48cm or more in leaf arrangement. Among the species found in Nigeria, V. height . The leaves are linear to lanceolate in shape and cinerea (L) Less, V. amygdalina Delile and V. conferta measures up to 5mm broad. The flowers are companulate and Benth. form an interesting group to study because V. cinerea measures between 1-1.5cm long (Hutchinson and Dalziel, is a herbaceous weed while V. amygdalina is usually treated 1963). as a shrub and also occur as bitter leaf and non-bitter leaf According to Otoide and Ifedele (2019) the variety and V. conferta is a small tree. The existence of V. morphological characters of angiosperms have been amygdalina in bitter leaf and non-bitter leaf form, sometimes extensively used both for producing classification and for poses a problem in classification of the species as V. diagnostic purposes. These characters are indispensable as amygdalina (non-bitter leaf) is usually regarded as a different they play important roles in plant taxonomy. The species. V. adoensis is a shrub which grows up to 2 m high. morphological characters do not undermine the importance of It is commonly found in the savanna regions of Senegal and other characters like anatomical and palynological which North and Southern parts of Nigeria, and extending across have been helpful in their own ways; the greatest advantage Africa to Ethiopia. The leaves are used in Kenya by the Masai of the morphological characters is that they can be easily crushed in cold water and applied to cattle sores caused by observed in the field (Singh and Jain, 1991). There are a large ticks. The root is prepared in Northern Nigeria into a bitter number of anatomical characters of taxonomic importance medicine and is used as a digestive and appetizer. In Southern pointed out by Metcalfe and Chalk (1950) and Van Cotthem Nigeria the root is a chew-stick. In Tanganyika a root- (1970). Some of these important anatomical characters are: Tele: E-mail address: [email protected] © 2020 Elixir All rights reserved 54163 Otoide, J. E. et al./ Elixir Bio Tech 140 (2020) 54162-54166 trichomes, stomata and epidermis. Trichomes have been concluded that the features were sufficient enough to delimit employed very frequently for taxonomic comparisons them from one another. because of their diversity, their universal presence in the Kemka-Evans et. al., (2014) studied the leaf epidermis of angiosperms and their simple means of preparation. For the three species of Vernonia and reported the occurrence of epidermis, shape of the cells, thickness and characteristics of contiguous stomata and sinuous anticlinal walls on the their walls, nature of the sculpturing on their walls as seen in abaxial leaf surface of non-bitter variety of V. amygdalina surface view and inclusions of epidermal cells provide useful and on both leaf surfaces of V. cinerea. Also reported were taxonomic criteria (Nwankwo and Ayodele, 2017). According irregular T- Shaped trichomes on the leaf surfaces of V. to Das and Mukherjee (1997) mature morphological features amygdalina and the cuticular striations on the adaxial surface are the conventional criteria used to establish taxonomic of the same taxa. They concluded that the features were of status. Similarly, Edeoga and Eboka (2000) observed that the taxonomic importance in determining the relationship among use of leaf epidermal morphology in systematics is becoming the species. Furthermore, Gupta et. al., (2017) reported the popular just as the use of other markers like DNA sequence, presence of anomocytic and diacytic stomatal types of chemical compositions, histochemical attributes and uniseriate and biseriate layers of epidermis on the upper and presence/absence of several groups of secondary metabolites. lower leaf surfaces of Alternanthera sessilis respectively. To this end, curious researchers over the years have made Whereas, uniseriate layer of epidermis occurred in both several scientific reports about the features in the epidermis epidermis of A. pungens with only anomocytic stomatal type. of leaves of both dicots and monocots with respect to their They concluded that the leaf anatomical features observed on usefulness and reliability as diagnostic characters in plant the species would be useful in confirming the authenticity of identification and delimitation of taxa. Consequently, the raw drugs resulting from leaves of the two species. Similarly, reports of Edeoga and Eboka (2000), Jayeola and Thorpe Nwankwo and Ayodele (2017) studied the taxonomy of the (2000), Edeoga and Otoide (2001), Nwachukwu and Mbagwu genus Indigofera Lin in Nigeria and reported anisocytic and (2007), Aworinde, et. al. (2013), Kemka-Evans (2014), paracytic stomatal types common in all the species. Also Gupta, et. al., (2012), Nwankwo and Ayodele (2017) and reported were irregular epidermal cell shapes on both surfaces Otoide and Ifedele (2019) are pertinent references. of all the species except in I. capitata, I. nummulariifolia and Edeoga and Eboka (2000) studied the morphology of the I. oblongifolia in which they are polygonal. And that leaf epidermis of some Dissotis species and reported the anticlinal wall patterns were curved, sinuate and undulate in presence of paracytic stomatal type on the abaxial and adaxial all the species. They concluded that the stomatal type and surfaces of all the taxa except in Dissotis rotundifolia where epidermal cell shapes are significant in the taxonomy of the the stomata were anomocytic and variations in epidermal genus Indigofera. cells architecture ranging from pentagonal to polygonal in all Akinnuubi et al. (2013) discovered 2-3, bicollateral the species except in Dissotis rotundifolia where they were vascular bundles in petiole anatomy of Vernonia amygdalina sinuous and irregular. They recommended the usefulness of and 3 oval shaped amphicribal vascular bundles in their observations in the systematics of the genus. Similarly, Cyanthillium cinereum (Kemka-Evans, 2017). Anatomical Jayeola and Thorpe (2000) studied the Calyptrochilum with features are widely used in systematics for identification, the aid of microscope.