MORPHOLOGICAL AND ANATOMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SPECIES TRIFOLIUM INCARNATUM L. CULTIVATED IN IRAQ

Abstract

Trifolium incarnatum L. is a new species grown in America, Europe, and Iraq. The novel study described the plant parts based on morphological characteristics like root, stem, leaflet, and flower. The annual plant is erect, 20–70 cm tall, unbranched from the base, with stipules membranous oblong-lanceolate, leaflet cuneate, obovate, and broadly retuse, otherwise rounded or truncate, and the leaflet-shaped ovate-cordate, with hairy margins, leaflet petiolate, and pedunculate (5 cm). Its inflorescences are mostly terminal oblong, 1.8 cm in diameter and 4 to 7.5 cm in length, and flower peduncles. The pollen grain’s analysis through the scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed monad, symmetrical, isopolar, zono-colporate, and tri-porate. The leaflet anatomy displayed many features and recorded differences between upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) epidermis in shape, size, and stomatal complex. The species was amphistomatic and had many types of stomatal complex, i.e., Anomocytic, Anisocytic, Paracytic, and Actinocytic. The number of stomata within the microscopic field was 56–65 and 32–38 on the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, with occurring crosssections in the leaflet and stem. The results showed the frond in a cross-section unifacial, the palisade tissue at two-three layers with a thickness of 82–100 µm, spongy tissue (62–70 µm), and the vascular bundle almost present in the central vein. The calcium oxalate crystals, especially prismatic crystals, lined along the veins, and the stem cross-section was a sub-triangle-circle–ovate, with three ovate closed vascular bundle sheaths distributed into three directions, with two facing each other.