Comparative foliar anatomy of three Khaya species(Meliaceae) used in Nigeria as antisickling agent

Khaya belongs to the family Meliaceae. In Nigeria the genus is represented by three species viz; K. senegalensis A. Juss.,K. grandifoliola C. DC. and K. ivorensis A. Chev. Comparative foliar anatomy of the three Khaya species was carried out to identify and describe distinctive anatomical characters that could possibly be used to delimit the three taxa. Transverse section, epidermal peels and cleared leaves of these three species were made. Characteristic similarity and disparity in the tissues arrangement as well as cell inclusions were noted for description and delimitation. The three Khaya species studied had essentially the same anatomical features, e.g., venation pattern having open polygonal areoles and the veins terminals biforkated. However, there were characters that seem to be species specific, e.g., vien termination number and areole width. The leaf epidermal studies of the three species revealed similarities in stomatal type which are generally staurocytic,epidermal cells and undulating anticlinal cell walls but stomata density varied. Hexacytic stomata is only observed in the abaxial surface of K. grandifoliola which distinguished this species from the others. The leaf petiole shape of the three species are round and difficult to distinguish into adaxial and abaxial surfaces. The cuticle is striated, vascular bundles are heart shape, conjoint, concentric and amphivasal, but are different in epidermal and collenchyma cell layer numbers. The leaf transverse sections of the three Khaya species studied have conjoint, concentric and amphicribral bundles while the leaf cuticle of K. senegalensis and K. grandifoliola are striated but that of Khaya ivorensis is non-striated.

Comparative anatomical studies of Artocarpus altilis(Parkinson) Fosberg and Artocarpus communis(J.R.& G.Forster) in Nigeria

Comparative anatomy of two Artocarpus species was carried out to identify and describe anatomical characters in search of distinctive characters that could possibly be used to delimit the two taxa. Transverse, tangential and radial longitudinal sections and macerated samples of the stem and root wood were prepared onto microscopic slides. Epidermal peels and cleared leaves of the two species were made. Characteristic similarity disparity in the tissues arrangement as well as cell inclusions were noted for description and delimitation. The two Artocarpus species studied had essentially the same an- atomical features; however, there were characters that seem to be taxon specific. The study revealed that at the transverse plane of the root, A. communis （J. R. ＆ G. Forster） have predominantly solitary vessel, whereas pore multiple was pre- dominant in A. altilis （Parkinson） Fosberg. Tyloses in vessels of the root were more frequent in A. communis than in A. altilis. In the cleared leaves, venation pattem also revealed some differences in the two species. The veins ofA. communis were more or less straight and that ofA. altilis were undulating especially in the secondary veins. Prismatic crystals were found in the cortex of the petiole in A. communis but not in A. altilis. Similarly, tannins were found in the root bark of A. communis but not in A. altilis. Trichomes and scales were more abundant in A. communis than in A. altilis. In the transverse section of the leaves, abaxial and adaxial epidermis were uniseriate in A. cornmunis but only the abaxial epidermis was uniseriate in A. altilis, the adaxial epidermis was made up of 2 to 3 layers of cells. The epidermal cells in A. communis were predominantly short cylindrical shaped cells but were not so in A. altilis.