Egypt. J. Exp. Biol. (Bot.), 16(2): 203 - 221 (2020) © The Egyptian Society of Experimental Biology DOI: 10.5455/egyjebb.20201112065657 AARU Impact Factor: 1.3 RESEARCH ARTICLE Eman A. Karakish Suad Al-Ruzayza Kadry Abdel Khalik Comparative anatomical studies of some species of family Malvaceae from Saudi Arabia and its systematic significance ABSTRACT: In this study, the micromorphological INTRODUCTION: characters of 17 species belonging to seven The Malvaceae is a cosmopolitan family, genera of family Malvaceae, collected from concentrated in the tropical and subtropical different localities in Saudi Arabia were region. It comprises ≈244 genera and over examined. These characters used in analysing 4225 species (Hutchinson, 1967, Fryxell, the relationship among the studied species 1988, La Duke and Doebley, 1995, viz., outline of stem, petiole and lamina in Christenhusz and Byng, 2016). Collenette cross section, trichomes, crystals, ducts, star- (1985) represented Malvaceae by 24 species shape idioblasts, aspects of secondary under 10 genera in Saudi Arabia, while growth. The anatomical features are used for Chaudhary (1999) recorded 31 species the construction of an artificial key. belonging to 17 genera. Depending on the presence of trichomes, the Systematic anatomy has a long history studied species separate in two main groups; since the invention of the microscope. first group contain the species of Althaea, Anatomy as well as morphology considered as Hibiscus and Malva (owing to the stem the bone skeleton of plant taxonomy to study vascular system), second group contain the the phylogeny and evolution (Endress et al., four remaining genera where their 2000). classification depend on many attributes such A number of anatomical studies were as, cross section of stem, petiole and leaf, performed on Malvaceae from various arrangement of trichomes, and ducts. aspects. The epidermal anatomy has been described in the leaves of some Malvaceae KEY WORDS: species (Inamdar and Chohan, 1969; Rao and Malvaceae, Anatomy, Leaf, Petiole, Stem. Ramayya, 1977; Celka et al., 2006; Shaheen et al., 2010). Previous studies have shown that stem and leaf micromorphology can be CORRESPONDENCE: used to distinguish genera and species in order Malvales (Inamdar et al., 1983; Yu-Long Eman A. Karakish and Yan-Sheng, 1984; Hussin and Sani, Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Ain 1998; Salma, 1999 & 2000; Nurul-Aini et al., Shams University, Cairo, Egypt 2013). Jansen et al. (1998) showed that E-mail: [email protected] vascular anatomy is useful to delimit the core Malvales from other families. Chung (2002) cleared that the glandular Trichomes of 32 Suad Al-Ruzayza 1 Microcos species (Malvaceae) are very Kadry Abdel Khalik 1 & 2 important in species identification and authentication. Olotuah (2014) studied the 1-Biology Department, Faculty of Applied anatomy of the leaf epidermis and petiole of Science, Umm-Al-Qura University, two selected species of Hibiscus to show the Mecca, Saudi Arabia difference between them. Naskar (2016) 2-Botany and Microbiology Department, studied the anatomical features in the family Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Malvaceae and construct an identification key Sohag, Egypt for the genera delimitation. Bayer and Kubitzhi (2003) classified Family Malvaceae according to the plant, flower and fruit morphology into four main tribes: 1) Kydieae. 2) Gyosspieae. 3) ARTICLE CODE:19.02.20 Hibisceae (including Fioria, Hibiscus, Pavonia and Senra). 4) Malveae including Abutilon ISSN: 1687-7497 Online ISSN: 2090 - 0503 https://www.ejmanager.com/my/ejeb 204 Egypt. J. Exp. Biol. (Bot.), 16(2): 203 - 221 (2020) alliance (Abutilon) and Malva alliance (Altheae and Malva). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The main objectives of this study are to In the present study, 17 species provide a detailed description of the belonging to seven genera of family micromorphology of the studied species of Malvaceae, subfamily Malvoideae (Bayer and Malvaceae, and to clear how far that Kubitzki, 2003) were collected from different micromorphological characters can serve in localities in Saudi Arabia. Table 1 represents taxa delimitation of the family and evaluate the list of the studied species, their tribes the usefulness of these characters in according to Bayer and Kubitzki (2003), contribution to further revision and localities and date of collection. The collected classification of this family. specimens identified according to Collenette (1985), Migahid (1989), and Chaudhary (1999). Table 1. List of the studied species, their tribes, localities and date of collection. Date of Genus No. Species Tribe Localities collection Abutilon bidentatum Hochst. ex Wadii Thalolah near AL-Baha, Jabal 1 18\04\2019 A.Rich. Shada, RAWRC and KSU 2 Abutilon fruticosum Guill. & Perr. Fifa mountain, Absiaa and KSU 15\04\2018 3 Abutilon grandifolium (Willd.) Sweet Fifa mountain, Alaridah and KSU. 15\02\2019 Mahil Aseir, Al_Mkwah, Wadii Al- 4 Abutilon hirtum (Lam.) Sweet. 10\01\2018 Rahjania, KSU and RAWRC Abutilon 5 Abutilon muticum (Del.exDC.) Sweet. Malveae Alardah, Wadii beash, Adharb and KSU. 29\01\2018 Mill. Wadii Adahawat, Wadii Qusaii, Al-Edabi, 6 Abutilon pannosum (G.Forst.)Schltdl. Wadii Beash, Sabia, Mahil Aseir, Qudaid, 15\03\2018 Raidah and KSU. Wadii Qusai, Umm Al-Quraa University 7 Abutilon figarianum Webb. 10\03\2018 and KSU. Abutilon ramosum (Cav.) Guill. & Shada mountiain, Al-Baha road, Al- 8 21\04\2018 Perr. Mkwah and KSU. Shaqraa, Ramah, Qassim Road and Althea L. 9 Althaea ludwigii L. Malveae 19\01\2019 RAWRC. 10 Hibiscus deflersii Schweinf. ex Cufod. Wadii Al- sheaf,Taif. 19\05\2019 Hibiscus L. Hibisceae 11 Hibiscus micranthus L.f. Raidah and Jabalah Mountain. 12\03\2018 Ushaqur, Al_Qasim- Buradah, AL-Jubail 12 Malva neglecta Wallr. 04\04\2019 and Rawdah kharaim. Malva L. 13 Malva parviflora L. Malveae Alkarj and Jabalah Mountain. 03\05\2019 Al-Sawdah, AL-ahsaa and Jabalah 14 Malva verticillata L. 03\04\2018 Mountain. Pavonia arabica Hochst. & Steud. Ex Pavonia Cav. 15 Hibisceae Bani Malik and RAWRC. 05\04\2019 Boiss. Senra Cav. 16 Senra incana Cav. Hibisceae Harrat Al-Shara. 21\01\2019 Fioria Mattei 17 Fioria dictyocarpa (Webb) Mattei Hibisceae AD darb near Abha and KSU. 05\02\2018 The species under investigation were then double stained using safranine and light matched against photos of authentic green combination and mounted in Canada specimens in the herbaria of KSU (King Saud Balsam according to method of Johanson University), RAWRC (National Research (1940). The sections were examined using centre of Agriculture and Livestock, Riyadh, OPTIKA B-150 light microscope and the Ministry of agriculture) and UQU (Umm Al - photos were taken using Nikon Coolpix p600 Qura University). The collected species were Digital Camera, the magnification power was pressed and prepared as herbarium expressed by (X). specimens, deposited in the Herbarium of Biology Department, Faculty of Applied RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Science, and Umm Al-Qura University. The obtained anatomical characters of The shoot system of the studied the species under investigation were species was preserved in 70% alcohol. Cross summarized as follows (Table 2, Figs 1-17). section of the stem, petiole and lamina were made using hand microtome at 14 - 18 µm., ISSN: 1687-7497 Online ISSN: 2090 - 0503 https://www.ejmanager.com/my/ejeb Karakish et al., Anatomical studies of some species of family Malvaceae from Saudi Arabia and its systematic significance 205 Table 2. the Micromorphological Characters of the species under study belonging to family Malvaceae Plant species 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 organ characters Cross section I- terete ± terete I- terete ± terete I- terete terete terete ±terete Shape ± cubic ± cubic ± cubic TE ± cubic ± cubic ±cubic cubic ± Epidermis Out wall straight straight straight straight straight straight papillose papillose Cuticle thin thin thick thin thin thin thick thin Distribution DS DS MS DS LS DS DS DS Trichomes Types MU & MM MU, MBM MU, MBM MBM MU, MBM MU, MBM MU, MBM MBM Types -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Ducts Location -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- druses & Types druses druses druses druses druses druses druses stem solitary Crystals cortex, cortex, cortex, cortex, cortex, cortex & cortex & cortex & Location phloem & phloem & phloem & phloem & phloem & pith phloem pith pith pith pith pith pith Thickness ±wide ±narrow narrow ±wide ±narrow narrow narrow narrow AC 3-4 Ch 1-2 Ch 1-2 Ch 1-2 Ch 1-2 Cortex Ch 1-2 rows, rows, P, CF 2-3 rows, rows, Types of cells rows, P, PF rows, P, P 4-5 rows P 4-5 rows P 4-5 P 3-4 P 3-4 rows PF rows, CF rows, PF rows, PF Type of vascular bundles CR CR CR CR PR CR CR CR narrowly narrowly narrowly narrowly narrowly narrowly narrowly 2ry interfascicular xylem -- fiber cells fiber cells fiber cells fiber cells fiber cells fiber cells fiber cells Thickness ±wide wide wide ±wide wide wide wide wide Pith Types of cells P P AC P P AC AC P concave- plain- sulcate- ±plain- Cross section ovate ± terete terete ± terete convex convex convex convex Shape cubic cubic cubic RE ±cubic RE cubic ±cubic Epidermis Cuticle thin thin thin thin thin thin thin thin Distribution MS DS DS MS LS DS DS DS Trichomes Types MU, MBM MU, MBM MU, MBM MBM MU, MBM MU, MBM MU, MBM MBM petiole druses & druses Crystals druses druses druses druses druses druses solitary (DS) 4 main & 4 main, 4 Vascular bundles No. 4- 6 4 4- 6 4 4 7-8 2 small small lateral AC 4-5 Ground tissue P P P P, AC P P P rows, P Shape ±cubic cubic cubic TE cubic cubic cubic TE Epidermis Cuticle thin thin thin thin thin thin thin thin Distribution MS DS MS DS LS DS DS DS Trichomes MU & Types MBM UU, MM MBM MBM MU, MBM MU, MBM MBM MBM Crystals + + + + + + +(DS) + Lamina PP 2 PP 2 PP 2 PP 2 PP 2 PP 2 layers, layers, layers, layers, layers, layers, Mesophyll ST 3-5 Ch Ch ST 3 ST 2-3 ST 2-3 ST 3 ST 3 layers layers layers layers layers layers Idioblasts -- + + -- -- -- -- -- obtuse- obtuse- obtuse- ±flat- obtuse- obtuse- obtuse- obtuse- Shape of midrib convex convex convex convex convex convex convex convex Midrib cells P P P P P P Ch, P P ISSN: 1687 -7497 Online ISSN: 2090 - 0503 https://www.ejmanager.com/my/ejeb 206 Egypt.