Comparative Taxonomic study on Crotalaria L. from some parts of South-Eastern Nigeri

Abstract

Morphological and anatomicalcharacteristics of stem, root, petiole, midrib,and lamina of Crotalaria L. found in some parts South-Eastern Nigeria wereinvestigated using microtomy and visual observation to provide additionalinformation to delimit them. Anisocytic, paracytic, anomocytic, tetracytic,one-subsidiary cell and contiguous stomata were recorded among thespecies. anisocytic was the predominant stomata in the three Crotalariaspecies studied occurring on the adaxaial and the abaxial leaf surfaces.Tetracytic stomata were observed on the abaxial surfaces of C. goreensis andC. verrucosa but not seen on the leaf surface of C. retusa. Also, contuigousstomata were observed on the abaxial leaf surface of C. goreensis and adaxialsurface of C. retusa. Furthermore, stomata in groups of 2 to 3 were recordedon the adaxial surfaces of C. retusa and C. goreensis. On the other hand,stomata with one-subsidiary cell was recorded on the abaxial surface of C.retusa and adaxial surface of C. verrucosa.The average trichome lengthinclude 36.58 μm in C. retusa, 56.62 μm in C. retusa and 61.15 μm in C.verrucosa. The hairiness or trichome density among the species varied C.verrucosa (20 – 23 per 100 objective fields of view), C. goreensis (40 – 45 OFV),and C. ratusa (76 – 100 OFV). A combination of morphological andanatomical of petiole, midrib, stem anatomy, and epidermal characters(stomata types, trichome size, and density) varied among the speciesstudied and are diagnostic especially when combined the morphologicaldata