Comparative leaf anatomy of the nothospecies × Butyagrus nabonnandii (Arecaceae) with its parental species

Abstract

Abstract Anatomical studies of the leaf blade have been used to complement the morphological data and aid circumscription and identification in Arecaceae. The hybrid palm ×Butyagrus nabonnandii results from the natural cross between Butia odorata and Syagrus romanzoffiana. This study aimed to verify if the leaf anatomy can help identify the hybrid and differentiate it from the parental taxa. Samples from the middle portion of the pinnae were collected and subjected to the usual techniques for light microscopy. Three portions of the pinnae were sampled: margin, intermediate region, and midrib. The main characteristics considered were the arrangement of fibre and vascular bundles. Pinnae anatomy proved to be useful in the identification of ×B. nabonnandii, because it showed a distinctive pattern, highlighting the importance of leaf anatomy in differentiating the hybrid from parental taxa. The pinnae anatomy of the hybrid was a combination of parental taxa’s characters, similar to the external morphology.

Keywords

• Butia
• hybrid palm
• plant anatomy
• Syagrus
• taxonomy