Estrutura foliar de Byrsonima coccolobifolia Kunth. (Malpighiaceae) em ambiente de cerrado e campo rupestre

Abstract

Byrsonima coccolobifolia Kunth. (Malpighiaceae) is mentioned as an apicultural, forage plant, producer of edible fruits, and as medicinal plant, and can be used as diuretic (internal use, in infusion from the bark of the stems and fruits. The aim of this work was to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative leaf anatomical traits of this species occouring both in Brazilian Cerrado and Campo Rupestre ecosystems. Anatomical analysis was performed in fresh or fixed leaves processed with usual plant microtechnique. Leaves showed uniseriate epidermis in petiole and leaf blade. Likewise, paracytic stomata were found only in abaxial side of leaf surface. Mesophyll contains uniseriate palisade parenchyma and multiseriate lacunous parenchyma (seven - nine layers) which showed cells with different morphology and size. Crystal idoblasts of different types were observed in both petiole and leaf blade. Collateral vascular bundles were found both in petiole and leaf blade. Leaf venation type was pinnate, campylodromous or brochydodromous. The micromorphometric analysis showed significant differences from plants of different environments for all leaf characteristics and Cerrado plants showed higher means for all evaluated traits. Therefore, the influence of environments may had modulated morphological responses in P. rigida as any difference in the type or distribution of leaf tissues were related to Cerrado or Campo Rupestre.