LEAFLET ANATOMY OF ZAMIA DISODON D.W. STEV. & SABATO AND Z. RESTREPOI (D.W. STEV.) A. LINDSTR.

<div>The genus Zamia is morphologically and ecologically the most diverse of the</div><div>Cycadales. Colombia is the country where most living species of Zamia have been</div><div>recorded. Even though in the past this genus extended beyond the Neotropical region,</...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Acuña Castillo Rafael, Marín Méndez Walter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional de Colombia 2013-07-01
Series:Caldasia
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Online Access:http://www.revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/cal/article/view/39092
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Summary:<div>The genus Zamia is morphologically and ecologically the most diverse of the</div><div>Cycadales. Colombia is the country where most living species of Zamia have been</div><div>recorded. Even though in the past this genus extended beyond the Neotropical region,</div><div>nowadays it is almost entirely restricted to that biogeographical realm. As with the</div><div>remaining Cycadales, this genus shows several unusual anatomical traits in the</div><div>leaflets. The objective of this research was to study and compare the leaflet anatomy</div><div>of Zamia disodon and Z. restrepoi and establish possible relationships between the</div><div>anatomical traits and the habitats of these species. We found that both species share</div><div>several unusual traits with each other and with other species of the genus, such as</div><div>the parenchyma morphology, the distribution of tissues between the veins and the</div><div>stomata morphology. The main differences between these species were seen in their</div><div>fiber clusters and in the distribution and abundance of the photosynthetic tissue near</div><div>the vein areas. The presence of stomata both adaxially and abaxially could be the</div><div>result of the very wet habitats where both species are native, while the presence</div><div>of fiber clusters just at the vein areas could account for the longevity of the leaves</div><div>of Zamia. On the other hand the unique traits of Zamia restrepoi are related to the</div><div>presence of a midvein, a trait not found in any other species of Zamia.</div>
ISSN:0366-5232