Characterization of leaf area of <i>Agave fourcroydes </i>Lem<i>.</i> plants obtained from asexual propagation

Abstract

The henequen (Agave fourcroydes Lem.) is a crop of great economic importance. This study was aimed to characterize the leaf surface of henequen plants variety `Sac Ki' obtained by asexual propagation methods. In vitro plants, shoots of bulbils of in vitro plants, shoots of rhizomes of in vitro plants, shoots of bulbils of field plants and shoots of field rhizomes were used. At 7 and 15 months after planting in the nursery, the epidermis was characterized through the stomatal index and stomatal density. Moreover, the conductor vessels and fiber bundles in leaf mesophyll, were characterized. It was found that the leaf surface of henequen plants variety `Sac Ki' obtained by different methods of asexual propagation showed similar anatomical structures. However, it was observed that in vitro plants were different from the rest in terms of stomatal index and stomatal density in both time points. It was suggesting a accommodate response to environmental conditions. Key words: stomatic density, stomatic index, in vitro plants