Epidermal Appendages in Selected Species of Angiosperms: A Study of Morphological Categories.

Background: Epidermal appendages are mono-cellular or multicellular, root hairs, trichomes that grow or develop epidermis. Taxonomically, selective members of different angiosperm families were observed focusing on their presence or absence, position, types of surface appendages (colliculate, hairy, wart and papil) and types of trichomes (simple hairs, tubercle-based hair minerals) concrete, secretory hairs, vesicular hairs, moniliform hairs, dendritic hairs. The epidermal appendages were studied in thirty species of angiospermic families collected from Botanical Garden University of Agriculture Faisalabad, by using double staining technique under light microscope. The data was then subjected to ANOVA and cluster analysis to investigate relationship among different angiosperm species. The maximum cell length in the abaxial epidermis is recorded in Pentas lanceolata, which is closely related to Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb.) Jacques, Lawsonia innermis L. and Cana indica L. The minimum cell length in the upper epidermis is recorded as Ficus elastica Roxb., closely related to Hemarocallis fulva L. and Alpinia allughas Retz. Cricum asiaticum L., Barlaria cristata L., Terminallia bellirica (Gaertn.) Roxb, Morus leavigata Wall. and Schizinthus terebunthifolus Raddi., show the maximum number of stomas in the Abaxial epidermis, while Strelitzia reginae Regel & Koch., shows the minimum number of stomata in the Abaxial epidermis. Our study emphasizes the distinctive and similar features of those epidermal appendages. These observations will provide as a basis for subsequent research on the physiology and ethnobotany of the chosen species.