Leaf morphoanatomical traits of Jacquinia armillaris Jacq. (Theophrastoideae - Primulaceae) in two xeric shrublands from Venezuela

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the leaf anatomy of Jacquinia armillaris plants in two different Venezuelan xeric shrublands to evaluate possible variations caused by the environments, which differ in rainfall and soil salinity. Leaf samples were collected in two sites: La Tortuga Island, a dryer and salty environment than the other collecting site, Turpialito, a coastal location in the mainland. The epidermis and the mesophylls were observed with a light microscope and measured with an ocular micrometer inserted in one of the eyepieces. The results show that J. armillaris has many characteristic anatomical traits of xerophytes, among them: thick cuticles and thick epidermis in both leaf surfaces, stomata only in the abaxial side and epidermal depressions lodging a glandular trichome. Leaves are bifacial and present multistratified palisade parenchyma facing the adaxial epidermis and abaxial spongy parenchyma with abundant intercellular spaces. Furthermore, the hypodermis is composed of one or two cell layers below the upper epidermis. Leaf lamina dimension, petiole, cuticles, epidermis and hypodermis cells, as well as the stomatal occlusive cells and number of trichomes, had differences in size and number when the plants of both sites were compared, being higher in plants from La Tortuga. On the other hand, palisade parenchyma and stomatal density were higher in Turpialito plants. Plants collected in La Tortuga Island showed characteristics that suggest adaptation to the island’s saline and more arid conditions in comparison to plants from Turpialito, which presented more leaf traits related to adaptations to water deficit. These results demonstrate the phenotypic plasticity of J. armillaris plants that grow in two different xeric shrublands.