Adaptive Anatomical and Histological Characters of the Leaf and Stem of Three Desert Species of Capparis PDF

Keywords

botany, leaf, stem

Abstract

The anatomy of the leaf and stem of Capparis spinosa L., C. cartilaginea Deene. and C. decidua (Forssk.) Edgew. have been studied and shown to be distinctive in these three species. Photosynthetic tissue is present in the leaf midrib region in all three species but differs as to the cell type (palisade vs. spongy) and distribution. Collenchymatous tissue is present in C. spinosa and C. cartilaginea but not in C. decidua. Ground parenchymatous tissue is conspicuous in C. cartilaginea less developed in C. decidua and is not observed in C. spinosa. Differences occur in the stem cortex of these species as to photosynthetic tissue cell type and distribution; C. cartilaginea and C. decidua have lignified primary phloem fibres, while C. spinosa has unlignified primary primary phloem fibres. This study elucidates the presence of extensive water-storing parenchymatous tissue and considerable thickness of the outer epidermal cell walls especially in the leaves as the adaptive structural mechanism of C. cartilaginea that underlies its ability to grow and survive in dry rocky habitats.