| Abstract: | This present study includes twelve species that represent the Ficus genus, namely; aspera, carica, tinctoria subsp.
gibbosa, hirta, hispida, neriifolia, palmata, pumila, racemosa, septica, sur, and sycomorus, belonging to the Moraceae family. The species samples were collected from various locations in Egypt. The study focused on the anatomical and molecular characteristics of mature foliage leaves. Since the identification and classification of taxa are
highly dependent on the anatomical features of leaves, the anatomical characteristics were recorded in the form of
a comparison between the examined plants in the data matrix. This study aims to contribute to the identification
of the studied species based on the anatomical details of the matured leaves. Anatomical characterization includes
the variations in upper and lower epidermal layers that are covered by a thin or thick cuticle; the number of palisade and spongy layers; crystals; secretory elements; lithocysts; the midrib zone has parenchyma associated with
mechanical tissue, vascular system, and investigation of trichomes; on the other hand, in the current study, the
phylogenetic analysis was conducted by using the ITS and 5.8 S sequences. From the analysis of all the available
data, it could be stated that there is an overall agreement with the anatomical character dendrogram. |
