A Comparative Anatomy of Salomonia Lour. (Polygalaceae) in Thailand

Abstract

The anatomy of five species of Salomonia in Thailand was studied. Capsule and flower characters along with roots were not discriminatory at species level within the genus but two sets of leaf characters were found to allow discrimination between all five species of Salmonia endemic to Thailand. The following characters were found to be discriminatory and distinctive at the generic level. The leaf characters are dorsiventral leaves with anomocytic stomata, unicellular hairs present, collateral vascular bundles, unilacunar with one trace node, siphonostele and presence of fibre strands around vascular bundles and inside the ribs on stems, presence of idioblasts which contain yellowish substances and schizogenous cavities in root cortex. The leaf characters; cuticular appearance and thickness, presence of spine-like hairs or papillae on leaf margins, presence of hairs and density and characters of epidermal cells on capsule faces are significant for species identification.