Micromorphological study of the tribe Agrimonieae family Rosaceae in Iran

The current study, devoted to leaf micromorphology of tribe Agrimonieae in Iran including three genera (Agrimonia, Aremonia,and Sanguisorba),four species (Agrimonia eupatoria,Aremonia agrimonioides,S. minor, and S. officinalis), and six subspecies (A. eupatoria subsp. eupatoria, A. eupatoria subsp. grandis, A. eupatoria subsp. asiatica, S. minor subsp. minor, S. minor subsp. lasiocarpa, and S. minor subsp. muricata). At first, plant materials were collected and identified and then leaf segments were washed and prepared for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The result of micromorphological analysis revealed three types of trichomes (curved, flexuous and straight), four types of hair surface ornamentations (echinate, transversely elongated papilla, verucate and granulate), and two types of glandular hairs (round to cylindrical head cell with pisilate to echinate surfaces). In all the examined species, epicuticulare wax types were either of film (smooth layers and crust), and crystalloids (granule and platelets), and wax sculpturing which comprises four types of syntupism. In addition, stomata traits were identified especially three types of outerstomatal rim/peristomatal rim, four types of inner stomata rim, and three types of wax distribution on the stomata rim/pore/epidermal cell. Based on author’s achievements, micromorphological characters of studied species of tribe Agrimonieae, possess diagnostic value and were capable of separating different taxonomic ranks (subtribes, genera, species, and subspecies). Based on these characters, an identification key is also prepared and presented herewith.