TITLE	A survey of epidermal morphology in Ficus Linn. (Moraceae) of Nigeria
AUTHOR	Mubo A. SONIBARE Koishikawa Botanical Gardens, Graduate School of Science, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan Adeniyi A. JAYEOLA Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Adeyemi EGUNYOMI Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria Jin MURATA Koishikawa Botanical Gardens, Graduate School of Science, Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan
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ABSTRACT	A detailed morphological study of the leaf epidermis of the tropical genus Ficus Linn. in Nigeria is presented. The study revealed several interesting epidermal features that have not previously been reported in the genus. Leaf epidermal characters such as pattern of epidermal cells, type of stomata, shape of guard cell pairs, and cuticular ornamentation are constant in some species and variable in others and thus of great significance in understanding the relationships between and within species. Leaves are hypostomatic in all species except in F. vallis-choudae Del., which has amphistomatic leaves. Poral epidermal walls of the outer stomatal ledge are distinctly higher than the peristomatal rims in F. cyathistipula subsp. cyathistipula Warb., F. lyrata Warb., and F. sagittifolia Mildbr. & Burret.
KEYWORD	Epidermal characters; Ficus; Morphological survey; Scanning electron microscopy (SEM); Taxonomy;
ARTICLE INFO	Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, Volume 46 Number 3 July 2005, page 231-238, 8 pages
PUBLISHER	Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China