ACTA BIOLOGICA SLOVENICA LJUBLJANA 2020 Vol. 63, Št. 1: 25–43 On the systematic implication of foliar epidermal micro-morphological and venational characters: diversities in some selected Nigerian species of Combretaceae Mikromorfološke značilnosti listne povrhnjice in žilnatost listov ter implikacije za sistematiko: raznolikost izbranih nigerijskih vrst iz družine Combretaceae Opeyemi Philips Akinsulirea*, Olaniran Temitope Oladipoa, Oluwabunmi Christy Akinkunmib, Oladipo Ebenezer Adeleyea, Akinwumi Johnson Akinloyea aDepartment of Botany, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria bDepartment of Microbiology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria *correspondence:
[email protected],
[email protected] Abstract: Foliar epidermal micro-morphology and venation patterns of eleven species representing four genera in the family Combretaceae revealed stable foliar anatomical characters that are diagnostic and are important in separating the taxa. Distinguishing characters of taxonomic significance in the cells and tissues structures of the species include epidermal cell shape, stomata type, stomata frequency, stomata index, trichome micro-morphology and frequency, areolation shape, vein micro- morphology as well as distribution of druses within areoles. Numerous epidermal striations on the abaxial surface of lamina are diagnostic for Combretum zenkeri while C. platypterum is distinctly separated from other taxa by the possession of staurocytic stomata in addition to the prominent anomocytic and/or anisocytic stomata.