Morpho-Anatomy and Mathematical Modelling in Lilium philippinense Baker from Cordillera Central Range, Philippines.

Abstract

The study presents the morphology, anatomy and mathematical modelling in Benguet lily (Lilium philippinense Baker), a threatened species from the Cordillera Central Range and was often misidentified with the weedy L. formosanum. The plant is an annual herb with linear, spiral leaves; pure white, perfect, funnel-shaped, showy flowers; septicidal elongated capsule; and, brown, light, winged seeds. New findings in the study include the description of the capsule and seeds, biometric measurements of the different plant organs, the significant correlation and regression model of plant height and stem diameter for certain floral measurement, and its diagnostic characteristics vis-à-vis L. formosanum. Interesting findings on the taxon's anatomy show a cross between a typical monocot and a typical dicot anatomy. It has a bifacial leaf structure (a common dicot character) but its spongy layer is not as widely spaced like in dicot leaf. The stem has a distinct cortex and pith (a dicot character) but has a scattered vascular bundles (a monocot character). Lastly, some roots have a narrow pith at the centre of the stele (a monocot character) while some roots have metaxylem elements at the centermost structure (a dicot character). Further studies need to be conducted to determine the ecological significance of these features.