Abstract

STOMATAL COMPLEXES IN SOME SPECIES OF ARACEAE

Meenakshi Vaidya*

Abstract

Araceae, a tropical family. Plants are mostly herbaceous, habit rarely aquatic. Rootstock is rhizomatous or tuberous or cormous. Leaves are simple or compound, parallel or net veined. Laticifers are common. Silica bodies lacking, oxalate raphides present. Inflorescence is simple spadix with a spathe. Flowers are minute, sessile bisexual or more commonly unisexual with reduced perianth or without perianth. Stamens are six in a flower. Carpels are three, syncarpous. Ovules one- many on axile or parietal or basal or pendulous placentation. Fruit is berry. Seeds are with or without endosperm. Endospermous seeds are with fleshy testa. Embryo is straight or curved. The plants are difficult to identify & sothis study was undertaken in which 7 genera have been studied for their stomatal complexes. The types of stomata found are cyclocytic, paracytic, paratetracytic & brachyparahexacytic monopolar. These could be used as a tool in identifying these species.

Keywords: Stomata, Araceae, cyclocytic, paracytic, paratetracytic & brachyparahexacytic monopolar.