Leaf Anatomical Studies on Some Mangrove Plants
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Journal of Academia and Industrial Research (JAIR) Volume 2, Issue 10 March 2014 583 ISSN: 2278-5213 RESEARCH ARTICLE Leaf Anatomical Studies on Some Mangrove Plants S. Poompozhil1* and D. Kumarasamy2 1Research and Development centre, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore -641046, Tamil Nadu, India 2Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar-608002, Chidhambram, Tamil Nadu, India [email protected]*; +91 9787119788 ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract Leaf anatomical characters of mangrove taxa namely Acanthus illicifolius, Aegiceros corniculatum, Avicennia marina, Avicennia officinalis, Bruguiera cylindrica, Ceriops decandra, Excoecaria agallocha, Lumnitzera racemosa, Rhizophora apiculata, R. mucranata, Suaeda maritima, S. monoica and Sesuvium portulacasturm were investigated. Hand sections of leaves were made at a position approximately half way between the base and apex of a sector from one side of the lamina. Petiole sections were made in the middle of the petiole and the sections were stained with aqueous safranin and mounted in glycerin jelly sealed with paraffin wax. Apart from light microscope sections, also observed under SEM microscope. The mangrove taxa showed anatomical characters which are adapted to mangrove environment even though they are from different families. With regard to epidermal characters, the mangroves of one family showed closer resemblance to the non-mangroves of the same family than to mangroves of other families. The study indicated that the epidermal characters are reliable for identification of various plant species. Keywords: Mangrove plants, leaf anatomy, epidermal characters, scanning electron microscope. Introduction Mature leaves with petiole of the plants were collected Plant formation consists of a peculiar assemblage of from the Thaandavarayan sozhan pettai, a coastal village mangrove plants develop on muddy beaches, salt water in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. Hand sections of areas and lagoons and are characterized by leathery leaves were made at a position approximately half way leaves, sunken stomata stilt roots, Pneumatophores between the base and apex of a sector from one side of and Viviparous fruits. These plants are well adapted to the lamina. Petiole sections were made in the middle of changing biological, chemical and physical traits of this the petiole. The sections are stained with aqueous environment through various xeromorphic properties, safranin and were mounted in glycerin jelly. The cover including morphology, anatomy and physiology. Plants of glass is sealed with paraffin wax. The slides were the mangrove community belong to many different observed under light microscope and photographed genera and families, most of which are not closely using Olympus digital camera attached with Olympus related to one another phylogenetically (Chapman, trinocular microscope. SEM photographs were also 1976). Approximately eighty species of plants belonging prepared for all these anatomical sections. to thirty genera in over twenty families (most of them belong to Rhizophoraceae) are recognized worldwide Results (Tomlinson, 1986). The present investigation was Leaves in general are dorsiventral and hypostomatic intended to study the leaf anatomical structures of some in most of the species except in Lumnitzera racemosa mangroves collected from Thaandavarayan where the leaves are isobilateral and amphistomatic. sozhanpettai, a coastal village in Cuddalore district of In Suaeda species and in Sesuvium portulacastrum the Tamil Nadu. leaves are almost cylindrical in outline and the stomata found all over the epidermis. Usually mangrove leaves Materials and methods are succulent. The highest lamina thickness occurs The mangrove plants examined were Acanthus in Suaeda maritima (2786.6 ± 82.5 µm) and lowest illicifolius L. (Acanthaceae), Aegiceros corniculatum in Bruguiera cylindrica (315.3 ± 11 µm). All species have (Myrsinaceae), Avicennia marina, A. officinalis a thick cuticle over the epidermis. The epidermal cells (Avicenniaceae), Bruguiera cylindrica, Ceriops cutinized wholly except Avicennia species and Bruguiera decandra, Rhizophora mucronata and cylindrica, where only the tangential wall of the epidermal R. apiculata (Rhizophoraceae), Excoecaria agallocha cells are cutinized. The cuticular surface is usually (Euphorbiaceae), Lumnitzera racemosa (Combretaceae), smooth except Avicennia species where, it is interrupted Suaeda monoica, S. maritima (Chenopodiaceae) and by uiseriate epidermal hairs (Table 1). Sesuvium portulacastrum (Aizoaceae). ©Youth Education and Research Trust (YERT) jairjp.com Poompozhil & Kumarasamy, 2014 Journal of Academia and Industrial Research (JAIR) Volume 2, Issue 10 March 2014 584 Table 1. Laminar characters of some mangroves. Percent of Thickness Thickness WST to Thickness of Thickness Thickness of the Thickness of the P/S Ratio Total Species the Lamina of the UE of the LE Palisade of the WST Spongy layer (in µm) Lamina (in µm) (in µm ) (in µm) layer (in µm) (in µm) Thickness (in µm) (in µm) Aegiceros 359.3±5.5 8.4±0.55 9.0±0.55 113.6±8.2 141.1±8.2 0.7±0.0.5 176±11 48.9±3.8 corniculatum Acanthus 601.3±11 38.5±5.5 22±0.0 157.6±1 6.5 300.6±5.5 0.52±0.06 82.5±5.5 13.7±1.1 illicifolius Avicennia 539±11 22±0.0 15±1.6 148.5±5.5 129.8±9.9 1.13±0.1 223.6±5.5 41.4±0.6 marina Avicennia 528±16.5 20.1±2.7 11±0.0 165±11.0 115.5±8.2 1.36±0.2 216.3±16.5 40.9±1.8 officinalis Bruguiera 315.3±11 22±0.0 22±0.0 49.5±8.2 185.1±2.7 0.26±0.045 36.6±2.7 11.6±0.9 cylindrica Ceriops 682±11 30. 4±2.7 20.1±27.0 110±11 440±11 0.24±0.03 81.4±5.5 11.9±0.7 decandra Excoecaria 517±11 20.1±2.7 17.9±1.65 270.2±5.5 177.4±3.3 1.51±0.02 31.1±2.7 6.0±0.6 agallocha Rhizophora 535.3±5.5 22±0.0 14.6±2.7 165±11 150.3±8.2 1.0±0.05 183.3±16.5 34.2±3.0 apiculata Rhizophora 627±11 22±0.0 14.6±1.65 176±11 165±11 1.0±0.0 256.6±22 40.9±2.8 Mucronata Lumnitzera 1279.6±16.5 22±0.0 22±0.0 132±11 - - 430.8±2.7 33.6±0.6 racemosa Suaeda 2786.6±82.5 86.1±2.7 - 110±11 - - 990±22 35.5±0.7 maritima Suaeda 1210±22 53.1±2.75 - 152.1±13.7 - - 315.3±5.5 26±0.9 monoica UE-Upper epidermis, LE-Lower epidermis, WST-Water storage tissue, P/S ratio-Palisade spongy ratio. In most of the species, both the adaxial and the abaxial The thickness of the upper epidermis ranging from epidermal cells are more or less similar in size except 86.1 ± 2.7 µm in Suaeda maritima to 8.4 ± 0.55 µm in in Avicennia officinalis, Ceriops decandra and Acanthus Aegiceros corniculatum and thickness of lower epidermis illicifolius where the adaxial epidermal cells are larger ranging from 22 ± 0 µm in lumnitzera racemosa to in size compare to those of abaxial cells. The epidermal 9.0 ± 0.55 µm in Aegiceros corniculatum. cells are polygonal in outline with more or less straight walls in all species studied except Ceriops decandra In all species studied, the mesophyll differentiated into and Excoecaria agallocha. In Ceriops decandra, the wall palisade and spongy tissues except Lumnitzera of the epidermal cells is sinuous, where as in Excoecaria racemosa, where only palisade layer is present on both agallocha it is wavy. sides. The palisade tissue below the upper epidermis is two layers in thickness in Ceriops decandra, Acanthus The stomata are of anomocytic type in Aegiceros illicifolius and Suaeda species and one layer in thickness corniculatum, diacytic in Acanthus illicifolius, Cyclocytic in Bruguiera cylindrica and more than two layers in in Ceriops decandra, in all other it is paracytic. Cuticular thickness in the rest. Water storing tissues of varying striations radiating from the stomata towards the walls of proportions has been observed in all species. In most of the subsidiary cell are recorded in Excoecaria agallocha. the species, the water storing tissue found as a In Rhizophora apiculata, the subsidiary cells having hypodermis except Lumnitzera racemosa, where it is papillary projections. Both glandular and non-glandular centrally located in between the upper and lower trichomes were observed in leaves of Avicennia species. palisade layer. The water storing tissue is uniseriate in Each glandular trichome or salt gland having a stalk cell Bruguiera cylindrica, biseriate in Ceriops decandra and and a head comprising of variable number of cells found Acanthus illicifolius, multiseriate in other species on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of leaves, whereas observed. In Lumnitzera racemosa, the palisade tissue non-glandular trichomes are multicellular with a stalk of found in two layers on both sides of the epidermis. The 2 to 3 cells with an awl shaped terminal cell observed palisade and spongy ratio was highest in Excoecaria abundantly all over the lower epidermis. Glandular agallocha (1.51 ± 0.02 µm) and lowest in Ceriops trichomes similar to that of Avecennia is also observed decandra (0.24 ± 0.03 µm). in Aegiceros corniculatum (Figs. 1-14). ©Youth Education and Research Trust (YERT) jairjp.com Poompozhil & Kumarasamy, 2014 Journal of Academia and Industrial Research (JAIR) Volume 2, Issue 10 March 2014 585 Fig. 1. Acanthus illicifoliuslower epidermis. Fig. 2. Aegiceros corniculatumlower epidermis. Fig. 3. Avicennia marinalower epidermis. Fig. 4. Avicennia officinalislower epidermis. Fig. 5. Bruguiera cylindricalower epidermis. ©Youth Education and Research Trust (YERT) jairjp.com Poompozhil & Kumarasamy, 2014 Journal of Academia and Industrial Research (JAIR) Volume 2, Issue 10 March 2014 586 Fig. 6. Ceriops decandralower epidermis. Fig. 7. Excoecaria agallochalower epidermis. Fig. 8. Lumnitzera racemosaupper and lower epidermis. Fig. 8. Lumnitzera racemosaupper epidermis.