Leaf surface characters applied to Lauraceae taxonomy in a seasonal forest of southern Brazil

Abstract

The goal of this work was to test if the macro and micro morphological analysis of the leaf surface could provide vegetative diagnostic characters for some of the most common Lauraceae species in Southern Brazilian Seasonal Forests. The leaf printing technique with universal instantaneous adhesive was used for the epidermical microscopical analysis and external macroscospical analyses of leave were made. Microscopic evaluation revealed the visibility and contours of anticlinal walls of epidermical cell and stomata and shape of guard-cells. Macroscopic evaluation showed the absence or presence of characters such as hairiness, domatia and scents. The results showed that analyzed characters, together with other diagnostic characteristics, could contribute in taxonomic delimitation of some common Lauraceae species in the Southern Brazil.