Foliar micromorphology of mexican oaks (quercus: fagaceae)
Mexico is the main center of diversity of the genus Quercus in the Western Hemisphere. Despite recent advances in the knowledge of Mexican oaks, a degree of taxonomic confusion still remains, mainly within particular species complexes. In this study, scanning electron microscopy was used to describe...
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
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| Formato: | Artículo |
| Lenguaje: | inglés |
| Publicado: |
Instituto de Ecología
2013
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/oaiart?codigo=4381794 |
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| Sumario: | Mexico is the main center of diversity of the genus Quercus in the Western
Hemisphere. Despite recent advances in the knowledge of Mexican oaks, a degree of
taxonomic confusion still remains, mainly within particular species complexes. In this study,
scanning electron microscopy was used to describe micromorphological foliar structures
(trichomes, epicuticular waxes and stomata) from the abaxial and adaxial leaf surfaces
of Mexican oak species, with the main goal of assessing the taxonomical utility of these
characters. In total, 27 species belonging to sections Quercus (white oaks) and Lobatae
(red/black oaks) were examined, particularly focusing on several groups of closely related
species with problematic taxonomic delimitation and on species that are known to hybridize.
Several trichome types were observed, including both glandular (simple and bulbous)
and eglandular (solitary, multiradiate, stellate, fused stellate and fasciculate stipitate).
Epicuticular waxes were structured as films, grooved films, crusts, granules, platelets and
platelets arranged in rosettes. Stomata were elliptical and raised above or leveled with the
foliar surface. Among the three types of structures examined, trichomes appeared to be
the most useful for taxonomical purposes, followed by epicuticular waxes. All species had
different combinations of character states for these micromorphological structures, which
permitted the elaboration of keys to identify species within the problematic groups. |
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