A contribution to the taxonomy of the genus inga scop. (Mimosaceae) based on the anatomy of the secondary phloem

Abstract

With the help of bark anatomical criteria the systematic position of 24 species of the genus Inga from Surinam was compared with existing subdivisions of the genus. Characters for the grouping of species into sections are the ratio of uniseriate to multiseriate phloem rays, the presence of secretory cells, crystals and thickened inner tangential walls of the phellem cells. However, the systematic value of some of these characters is low. In spite of the limited materials studied, it appears possible to support a few of the existing assignments of species into sections or series. However, the observed bark anatomical character associations of the majority of the investigated species run counter to the subdivisions of the species of Inga derived from flower morphological and wood anatomical data.