Leaf Anatomical Characters in Relation to C3 and C4 Photosynthetic Pathway in Cyperus L. (Cyperaceae)
10 January 2015
AYENI, Oluwaseyi; Jimoh, Mahboob; Saheed, SefiuLeaf anatomical characters of twelve species from the genus Cyperus, a genus known to contain species with C3 and C4 plants, were investigated. This is to e study investigated and established the usefulness of an all inclusive functional leaf anatomical characters in the proper delimitation of these species along photosynthetic pathways. Species investigated were C. articulatus L., C. compressus L., C. difformis L., C. dilatatus Schum. & Thonn., C. distans L., C. esculentus L., C. haspan L., C. imbricatus Retz., C. iria L., C. rotundus L., C. sphacelatus Rottb. and C. tenuiculmis (Boeck.) Hooper, collected from locations within Southwestern Nigeria. Standard anatomical procedures for examining epidermal and cross sections of leaves were employed. Our data suggested that combination of characters such as the occurrence of Kranz tissue, maximum cell distant count, maximum lateral cell count, interveinal distance and to some extent leaf and mesophyll thickness provide reliable basis for the assessment of photosynthetic pathways of investigated Cyperus species as compared to isolated characters been used previously. The study confirmed indicate that C. difformis and C. haspan are C3 species while the rest follow the C4 photosynthetic pathway. A salient feature of this study is identification of C. dilatatus, as belonging to the C4 group.