Author

Seema R.1*, Madhvi Singh2, Seshu Lavania3

Abstract

he genus Curcuma (Zingiberaceae) is known for its medicinal and economic importance. The present study was to examine and establish some interspecific variations among Curcuma longa L.,Curcumaaeruginosa Roxb., Curcumaamada Roxb., CurcumaaromaticaSalisb., Curcuma caesia Roxb., Curcumaecalcarata Sivar. & Balach., Curcumaharitha Mangaly & M. Sabu, and Curcumazedoaria Roxb. by characterizing the leaf epidermal features using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which can be used as a diagnostic tool for species identification. The leaves were amphistomatic with tetracytic stomata more frequently on the abaxial surface. Trichomes were unicellular, non-glandular, conical, and densely distributed on the abaxial surface of C. aromatica and C. haritha, very few in C. longa and C. aeruginosa. Stomatal index, stomatal density, and epidermal cell size were maximum in C.aromatic and minimum in C. longa in the abaxial leaf surfaces statistically significant at p ≤ 0.001. Correlation analysis showed high positive correlation between stomatal index and density of leaf abaxial surface (r = 0.99), stomatal and epidermal cell density of adaxial and abaxial epidermal surface (r = 0.99, r = 0.95), guard cell length and epidermal cell frequency of adaxial and abaxial epidermal surface (r = 0.92, r = 0.85) among the selected species.

Doi Number 10.61289/jibs2024.03.22.139

Keywords Amphistomatic, Curcuma, Epidermis, Tetracytic, Zingiberaceae.