FOLIAR MORPHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMIC CHARACTERISTICS IN ENTANDROPHRAGMA SPECIES IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA

Abstract

In Nigeria, identification of Entandrophragma species in their natural range has been very difficult as the same species in different environments exhibit different morphological features. This research was designed to assess foliar morphological and anatomic characteristics in already known and clearly tagged Entandrophragma species at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan, Oyo State with a view to providing some diagnostic features that could help resolve current taxonomic uncertainties in their wild counterpart. In this study, three tagged trees of E. cylindricum, E utili and E. angolensis were located and their leaves were collected for morphological and anatomic study. All quantitative data obtained were analyzed. E. angolense and E. cylindricum could be grouped by 30° obliqueness, E. utile is delineated from other two taxa by the possession of 75° obliqueness. On the adaxial surfaces of the three species, epidermal cells were straight undulating or wavy. The periclinal walls in E. angolense were glabrous, slightly coarse in E. utile while it was striated in E. cylindricum. This could be used in these species identification. Also, crystal sand on the adaxial surface of E. angolenseis was a spot character for the species.

KEYWORDS: Foliar morphology - anatomic disparity - Entandrophragma species