Epidermal Structure and Ontogeny of Stomata in some Verbenaceae

The present paper deals with epidermal structure and developmentof stomata in 14 species of Verbenaceae. The epidermal cellsare either polygonal, isodia-metric, or elongated in variousdirections, and irregularly arranged. The anticlinal walls arethick, mostly sinuous, occasionally arched or straight. Thesurface of the cuticle shows parallel, rarely corrugated, striations.Some 12 types of eglandular and glandular trichomes, and foliarnectaries are noticed. The mature stomata are diacytic, anisocytic,paracytic, with a single subsidiary cell, anomocytic and perigenous.The development of anomocytic stomata is perigenous, while thatof others is mesogenous or syndetocheilic type. Abnormalitiesnoticed here include contiguous stomata, stomata with a singleguard cell, and aborted guard cells.