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Morphology and Histology of sahadevi - Euphorbia dracunculoides L..

sahadevi :

Euphorbia dracunculoides


Morphology:

  An ascending  to  erect, annual  or  short-lived perennial,  15–30  cm  tall.  Root  terete, single, 30–40  cm  ×  3–8  mm.  Stem  sometimes branched  basally,  3–7  mm  thick,  branches ascending, terete, glabrous in all parts. Leaves opposite  on all  the flowering  parts, alternate on  some  of the  lower  parts  of  the stem  and branches,  sessile;  stipules  absent;  leaf  blade linear to linear-lanceolate, 1–3 cm × 2.5–4 mm, acute  or  obtuse,  rounded  in  at  the  base, margin  entire;  lateral  veins  few, inconspicuous,  at  acute  angle  to  midrib. Inflorescence  an  inconspicuous terminal  few-rayed  cyathium;  primary  invo-lucral  leaves similar to  normal leaves,  primary rays ca.  3, robust  and  ascending,  dichotomous; cyathophylls  2,  similar  to  normal  leaves. Cyathium  sessile;  involucre  broadly campanulate,  2–3 ×  3–5 mm,  lobes rounded; glands 4, pale brown, crescent-shaped, apex 2-horned, horns light green. Male flowers many, not  ex-serted from  involucre. Female  flower: ovary  exserted  from  cup,  smooth,  glabrous; styles  free,  persistent;  style  arms  2-lobed. Fruiting  peduncle  ca.  3  mm;  capsule subglobose,  ca.  3.5  ×  3.5  mm,  smooth  or obscurely  reticulate,  glabrous.  Seeds  ovoid- cylindric,  ca.  2.5  ×  1.5–2  mm,  usually tuberculate-rugose,  blackish-brown,  with whitish  network  of  thin  ridges;  caruncle  0.5 mm.

Histology:

Root – Young root shows exfoliated, single layered epidermis; mature root shows thin walled cork, composed of 10-12 layers of rectangular cells; secondary cortex consists of 4- 6 layers of oval, elliptical, parenchymatous cells; oval to elongated elliptical thick walled, lignified cells with wide lumen; groups of stone cells and a few fibres present in this region; endoderm is and pericycle not distinct; secondary phloem composed of sieve elements and parenchyma; secondary xylem consists of vessels, fibres, tracheids and medullary rays; all elements thick-walled and lignified; fibres and vessels having simple pits; starch grains simple, rounded to oval, 2.75 n in dia; found scattered in phloem region; rarely a few oil globules also present.

Stem – Shows a single layered epidermis composed of thick-walled, flattended, tangentially elongated cells; older stem shows 4-5 layers of cork composed of thinwalled, rectangular, tangentially elongated and radially arranged cells; cortex composed of 4-5 layers of oval to rectangular, tangentially elongated elliptical, thin-walled parenchymatous cells; stone cells oval to elongated, elliptical, thick-walled lignified, with wide lumen present in this region; endodermis not distinct; pericycle represented by groups of lignified fibres; secondary phloem narrow, composed of sieve elements, phloem parenchyma and a few elongated laticiferous sacs; secondary xylem composed of vessels, fibres and tracheids, traversed by numerous xylem rays; all elements, thickwalled and lignified, vessels having simple pits; fibres elongated and aseptate; centre occupied by a pith, consisting of thick-walled, circular to oval, parenchymatous cells; some rounded, small laticiferous sacs present in peripheral pith cells, filled with yellowish-brown content; starch grains more abundant in phloem and pith region, simple, solitary or in groups, rounded to oval, measuring 5.5-19.25 n in diameter.

Leaf
Midrib – shows slightly convex outline; epidermis single layered, covered externally with thick, striated cuticle; hypodermis consists of single layered collenchymatous cells towards lower side; vascular bundle collateral and surrounded by 4-6 layers of thinwalled, parenchymatous cells.

Lamina -shows slightly wavy outline; epidermis on either covered with thick cuticle; paracytic stomata present on both surfaces; mesophyll differentiated into palisade and spongy parenchyma; palisade single layered present on both sides; spongy parenchyma 4-5 layered consisting of irregularly arranged cells present between upper and lower palisade; a few small collateral vascular bundles embedded in spongy parenchyma.

Powder – Light yellow; shows vessels with simple pits, aseptate fibres; oval to elongated, elliptical, stone cells thick-walled, lignified with wide lumen; simple, rounded to oval starch grains, measuring 3-19 n in diameter.


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