Leaf anatomy of some Garrya species

The anatomy of the leaves of five species of Garrya has been investigated with a view to determining if this would be helpful in the taxonomic assignment of the genus, which has had a disputed taxonomic position.
Our observations indicate that the leaves of Garrya show several anatomical features which are unknown or rare in the Cornaceae, the family in which it has been included many times. These are: (a) two layers of lower epidermis; (b) papillae on the lower epidermis and sometimes on the upper as well; (c) beak-like extensions of epidermal cells adjacent to guard cells; (d) well-developed hypodermis below the upper epidermis; (e) more than one layer of palisade tissue and (f) three types of sclereids in the lamina–filiform, stellate-polymorphic and brachysclereids–distributed diffusely, subterminally or apparently terminally. These characters support the separation of Garrya from the Cornaceae and the retention of the family Garryaceae.