LEAF ANATOMY AND MICROMORPHOLOGY OF SELECTED EUPHORBIACEAE SPECIES IN KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA

Leaf anatomy and micromorphology study was carried out on three selected taxa in Euphorbiaceae. The three chosen taxa were Jatropha curcas Linn., Euphorbia milii Des Moul. and Euphorbia hirta Linn. The methods involved procedures such as sectioning using sliding microtome, epidermal peeling and leaf micromorphology method using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The aim of this study is to identify the common, variation and diagnostic characteristics of leaf anatomy and micromorphology of selected species collected from Kuantan area which can give additional information for identification and classification of species. Findings in this study have shown that there were two common characters present in all the species studied which include the presence of mucilage cells and cuticular sculpturing of abaxial and adaxial epidermis. Meanwhile, several variable characters have been recorded in this study which can be useful in species differentiation such as vascular bundles arrangement in the midrib, pattern of anticlinal wall, types of stomata, waxes and trichomes. The diagnostic characteristics identified in this study are sinuous anticlinal wall pattern and anomocytic type of stomata that can only be found in E.hirta while crust of wax type and absence of trichomes can only be found in E.milii. The study reveals that leaf anatomy and micromorphology characteristics have taxonomic values and can be used as an additional data for identification and classification of species in Euphorbiaceae.