International Research Journal of Plant Science

Study of Leaf Epidermal Characters of some Species of the Genus Desmodium Desv. (Papilionoideae-Leguminosae) of Chitradurga, Karnataka, India.

Rachitha CJ^* and Krishnaswamy K ¹Department of Botany, Kuvempu University, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
²Department of Botany, Sahyadri Science College, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
^*Corresponding Author:
Rachitha CJ, Department of Botany, Kuvempu University, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India, Email: rachithacj1992@gmail.com

Received: 17-Jan-2023, Manuscript No. IRJPS-23-87220; Editor assigned: 19-Jan-2023, Pre QC No. IRJPS-23-87220 (PQ); Reviewed: 02-Feb-2023, QC No. IRJPS-23-87220; Revised: 18-Apr-2023, Manuscript No. IRJPS-23-87220 (R); Published: 25-Apr-2023, DOI: 10.14303/IRJPS.2023.52

Introduction

The genus Desmodium Desv was commonly known as Tick clover or beggar weed contains about 280 species about 49 species were recorded in Flora of British India and is native to tropics and subtropics. Mostly herbs, subshrubs, shrubs and rarely climbers or trees, leaves pinnately 3-foliate or 1-foliate by reduction of laterals leaflets, stipulate. Flowers usually smaller in racemes or panicles, axillary or terminal, rarely solitary or binate in leaf axils.

Bracts persistent or early deciduous; bracteoles present or absent, calyx campanulate, 4 or 5-lobed, bivariate upper 2 lobes connate foe all or most of length entire or 2 toothed at apex, lower lobes free longest. Corolla white, green-white pink, purple or violet; standard elliptic or obviate to nearly orbicular; wings, ovary sessile 2 many, legumes usually stipulate or sometimes sessile, well exerted from the calyx, compressed, usually indehicent, transversely segmented, upper (adaxial) suture slightly constricted or straight, lower (abaxial) one constricted; one seeded, membranous or lathery almost flat or more rarely inflated. Seeds along reniform or sub quadrangular, compressed; aril not developed (Essiett, et al., 2012).

In the current study three species of Desmodium viz., Desmodium Desv viz Desmodium dichotomum (Willd.) DC. synonym of Bouffordia dichotoma (willd.) H. Ohashi and K. Ohashi, Desmodium scorpiurus (Sw.) Desv. Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC.Synonym of Grona triflora (L.) H. ohashi and K.Ohashi were identified in the study area andselected for epidermal studies (Gamble, et al.,1918).

Foliar epidermis provides valuable taxonomic information in distinguishing various taxa. Taxonomic significance of epidermal features has been discussed by various workers. Microscopic features of leaf epidermis for taxonomic study includes trichomes, epidermal cells, stomata and subsidiary cells. All these epidermal characters help in identification, rearrangement and delimination of taxa on every level (Hooker, et al., 1878). The object of current study was to provide micromorphological data of Desmodium species in study area and also providing information for easy identification and deduce phylogenetic relationship on the basis of micromorphology (Leelavathi, et al., 1983).

Materials and Methods

Fresh samples of Desmodium were collected from different localities of Hosadurga and Holalkere taluks of Chitradurga of Karnataka state of India, during the period of July 2018 to December 2020 and identified using local floras and Plants of world online and mentioned accepted name. To study the epidermal characters, fresh leaf samples were collected from five different regions of the study area; each leaf was painted with fingernail polish on both the adaxial and abaxial surfaces and allowed to dry. After drying, short clear cellophane tape was firmly pressed over the dried nail polish on the surface according to the method of Mbagwu. The slides were observed by using light microscope, stomata were studied in 450x and trichome in 150x. The characters determined were stomata complex features (stomata type, size and frequency); Epidermal cell features (shape, size and frequency) and trichome features (type and frequency). Photographs of lamina epidermis (Adaxial and Abaxial) characters were taken using a microscope equipped with a digital camera. The Stomata Index (SI) was calculated using the formula of SI= (S\(S+E)) × 100, where S=No. of stomata in 1 sq mm and E=No. of epidermal cells in an area of 1 sq mm.The stomata, guard cell, stomatal pore,subsidiary cell, and epidermal cell length, width andtrichome length were estimated by stage and ocularmicrometry and mean value of 10 different views in100x, 450x were presented in standard mean error.Terminology and classification for the epidermalcells, stomata and trichome are made after MetcalfeCR and Chalk L (Mbagwu, et al., 2007).

Results

Epidermal characters of three species of the Genus Desmodium Desv was documented in the Tables 1 and 2 and Figures 1 and 2.

Table 1. Epidermal characters of three species of Desmodium (all the measurements are in micro meter and are replica of 10 and also mentioned with standard error) and all measurements are in micrometer (μm).

Table 2. Epidermal characters of three species of Desmodium.

Epidermal cell

In the studied three species of Desmodium, epidermal cell shape is regular in adaxial surface of Desmodium dichotomum and Desmodium scorpiurus, where as irregular in abaxial surface of Desmodium triflorum and D. scorpiurus and in both adaxial and abaxial surface of D. triflorum, all the three species in both the surface showed polygonal cell, along with it rectangular cells are also observed in adaxial surface of D. dichotomum, whereas in adaxial surface of D. scorpiurus possess pentagonal and hexagonal cells were also observed (Metcalfe, et al., 1979). Epidermal cell wall is sinous, wavy and curved in all the species of its both the surface except in adaxial surface of D. scorpiurus, which is straight (Salisbury, et al., 1927). The epidermal cell length is varied in the Genus Desmodium, where the larger epidermal cell is observed in adaxial surface of D. dichotomum (length 83.2 ± 5, width-40.5 ± 1.6) and smallest epidermal cell is found in abaxial surface of D. dichotomum (length 29.5 ± 2.29, width-17.3 ± 0.65), which is mentioned in Table 1. Both larger and smaller epidermal cell is found in the same plant (Shah, et al., 1971).

Stomata

All the three species of Desmodium is Amphistomatic. Different types of stomata is observed, anisocytic and hemiparacytic stomata is found in all the species of Desmodium except in adaxial surface of D. dichotomum, tetracytic is not found in adaxial surface of D. dichotomum and D. scorpiurus, diacytic is found in only D. triflorum in both the surface of leaf. The size of the stomata measures differentially, largest stomata is observed in adaxial surfaces of D. dichotomum its length is measures about 32.4 ± 1.4 and width is 13.91 ± 0.4, smaller stomata is observed in abaxial surface of D. dichotomum with length measures about 14.8 ± 0.44 and width is 6.02 ± 0.26. The highest guard cell length is found in adaxial surface of D. dichotomum (26.1 ± 1.8) and lowest guard cell length is observed in abaxial surface of D. dichotomum (11.6 ± 0.63), highest guard cell width is seen in adaxial surface of D. scorpiurus (4.5 ± 0.5), whereas lowest guard cell width in adaxial surface of D. dichotomum (0.7 ± 0.12). highest pore length in adaxial surface of D. dichotomum (19.7 ± 0.9) and lowest pore length is in abaxial surface of D.dichotomum (7.2 ± 0.28), highest pore width inadaxial surface of D. dichotomum (5.5 ± 0.3) andlowest pore width in adaxial surface of D.dichotomum (2.1 ± 0.5), the highest subsidiary celllength is found in abaxial surface of D. dichotomum (66.8 ± 3.7) and lowest subsidiary cell length is observed in abaxial surface of D. dichotomum (25.9 ± 2.1), highest subsidiary cell width is seen in abaxial surface of D. triflorum (37.4 ± 2.8), whereas lowest subsidiary cell width in adaxial surface of D. scorpiurus (9.4 ± 1.6). Highest Stomatal Index (SI) per unit area is found in abaxial surface of D. dichotomum (64.06%) and lowest stomatal index is found in adaxial surface of D. scorpiurus (16.65%). In all Desmodium species shows the stomatal types are quite differential this result correlates with Shah and Gopal they state that in Papilionoideae different stomata types follow a similar pattern of development (Shokefun, et al., 2014).

Trichome

Trichome is found in all the species of the Desmodium except in adaxial surface of D. triflorum. In all species of Desmodium unbranched, eglandular trichome is observed, long trichome is found in adaxial and abaxial surface of D. dichotomum. Both long and short trichomes are observed in D. scorpiurus, short trichome is found in abaxial surface of D. triflorum, whereas trichome is absent in adaxial surface, among the studied species tallest trichome is seen in adaxial surface of D.dichotomum (495.2 ± 153.6) and smallesttrichome is seen in adaxial surface of D. scorpiurus(59.3 ± 3.1). No of trichome per unit area isconsiderably more in adaxial surface of D.scorpiurus and less in adaxial surface of D.dichotomum (Vandana, et al., 2018).

Cluster analysis

The result of cluster analysis is illustrated in the phenogram (Figure 3). This analysis divided the Desmodium genera into two main groups. The first group consists Desmodium triflorum which shares Irregular, polygonal epidermal cell shape and cell wall will be sinous, wavy and curved, stomata type will be diacytic, hemicytic, paracytic, tetracytic and also shows trichome and it is absent in adaxial surface uniseriate short, unbranched, eglandular, unicellular, clavate cylindrical. Second group is represented by Desmodium dichotomum and Desmodium scorpiurus which shares the characters as described in Table 2 (Zoric, et al., 2012).

Discussion

The investigated taxa showed significant difference in epidermal characters viz epidermal cell shape and structure, stomata and trichome. Taxonomic significance of epidermal studies in Leguminaceae was described by Leelavathi PM and Ramayya N, et al., but as far as Desmodium species is concerned no attempt was carried to deliberate the epidermal characters relationship to its Taxonomic significance. So, a serious attempt was made to study the epidermal characters of Desmodium species of study area and also its relationship based on epidermal characters. Current study shows slight correlation with work done by Leelavathi PM and Ramayya N, et al., where all Papilionoids possess uniserate, unbranched, trichome. Epidermal characters also helped to develope phenogram which shows relationship among them.

Taxonomic keys for identification of Desmodium species

Subsidiary length less than 100 μm

Epidermal cell wall wavy and sinous

Irregular epidermal cell

Stomata length more than 14 μm…………………………..……………Desmodium

Trichome length more than 450 μm ………………………………………… D. dichotomum

Guard cell length is 20 μm…………………………………………..D. scorpiurus

Trichome absent on adaxial surface….....……………………………………D. triflorum

Conclusion

Papilionoideae show great diversity of stomata; however, the stomatal features may prove to be of little taxonomic value unless the development of different stomata types is studied. In the present work three Desmodium species studied they shows some similarity such as unicellular, unbranched trichome, that helps to assign them to the family Papilionoideae and cell wall wavy and irregular epidermal cell, helps to assign them to the genus Desmodium. With the distinct character they were assigned to respective species. Nevertheless, the taxonomic value of stomata type and distribution will be better understood when more information on a greater number of taxa is available.

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Citation: Rachitha CJ (2023). Study of Leaf Epidermal Characters of Some Species of the Genus Desmodium Desv. (Papilionoideae-Leguminosae) of Chitradurga, Karnataka, India. IRJPS. 14: 052.