LEAF ANATOMY OF THE GENUS PSORALEA-SENSU-STRICTO (PSORALEEAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE, LEGUMINOSAE)

Citation
E. Crow et al., LEAF ANATOMY OF THE GENUS PSORALEA-SENSU-STRICTO (PSORALEEAE, PAPILIONOIDEAE, LEGUMINOSAE), Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 124(2), 1997, pp. 155-182
Citations number
18
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences
ISSN journal
00244066
Volume
124
Issue
2
Year of publication
1997
Pages
155 - 182
Database
ISI
SICI code
0024-4066(1997)124:2<155:LAOTGP>2.0.ZU;2-T
Abstract
Leaf anatomy is described from 17 species of Psoralea sensu which incl udes four species of the genus Hallia Thunberg. Species of the two gen era share many characters including the presence of rod-shaped crystal s, similar stipule structure and a possible continuum in secretory cav ity anatomy ranging from a small and non-trabeculate to a large and tr abeculate form. Hallia species are distinguished by the presence of la rge tannin cells in the bundle sheaths and a narrow length:width ratio of palisade cells. In the light of other floral evidence this is cons idered insufficient to separate the two genera, a view confirmed by cl uster analysis. Thus, Salter's proposal of 1939 for their amalgamation is supported. Leaf anatomy of herbaceous species is compared with tha t of seedlings of Psoralea sp. to assess the possibility that the herb aceous species may have arisen through neoteny from species that are t rees or shrubs. Comparative venation studies between stipules and scal e leaves suggest that the scale leaf form arose from pinnate-leaved an cestors by leaf reduction. (C) 1997 The Linnean Society of London.