Structural characters of leaf epidermis in Neolepisorus (Polypodiaceae)

Abstract

The surface structure of the foliar epidermis of 5 species, 2 forms and 8 populations in Neolepisorus was investigated under light microscopes. The result shows that their stomata are distributed in the lower leaf epidermis and parallel to the veins. The types of stomata found were polocytic, axilloctytic, copolocytic, coaxilloctytic and anomotetracytic. They were different in stomatal type, stomatal index, the epidermal features, type of curved anticlinal walls. These differences contributed evidences for the taxon identification and systematics of Neolepisorus.

Key words: Neolepisorus, leaf epidermis, stomatal apparatus types