Foliar anatomical studies of Andropogon gayanus - Andropogon tectorum complex in Southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Foliar epidermal studies were carried out on accessions of Andropogon gayanus-Andropogon tectorum complex collected in Southwestern Nigeria with a view to providing additional characters of the two species of Andropogon to enhance the understanding of the taxonomic relationship between the two species. The epidermal preparation of the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaf blade was made from the median part of well-matured leaf samples by the scrapping method. The analysis of both qualitative and quantitative characters revealed that study revealed that the costal zones of both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of all accessions studied showed similar features with little or no variation in their expression; epidermal cells are mostly rectangular with wavy walls, and the stomata encountered are paracytic. There was a unique occurrence of cluster of cells at the base of the macro hairs present in A. gayanus which is a diagnostic feature for its accessions collected. Kiwani, an unidentified polyploid accession, has the highest number of bands, the stomata are bigger, which is consistent with gigas effect occasioned by its polyploidy status. Glandular trichomes were present in both diploid and tetraploid of A. tectorum, a diagnostic feature for the species.

Keywords

• Andropogon gayanus
• Andropogon tectorum
• Kiwani
• paracytic