Epidermal Structures and Stomatal Ontogeny in Some Mimosaceae

The structure of trichomes and stomata on leaflets of 21 speciesof the Mimosaceae are described. Non-glandular trichomes inMimosa pudica are of three types: unicellular, with a roundedthick-walled base and a terminal unicellular body, and multicellular.Capitate, clavate, or cylindric, 3–6-celled glandularhairs are observed on leaflets of Mimosa pudica only. Leafletsare amphistomatic in all species except Adenanthera pavonina,Calliandra sp., Parkia biglandulosa, Pithecellobium dulce, andSamanea saman in which they are hypostomatic. Only paracyticstomata are found in Leucaena leucocephala and Mimosa pudica.In the rest stomata are of more than one type. In spite of thediversity, the most frequent type in these species is paracytic.Anisocytic stomata, in all cases, are secondarily derived fromparacytic ones by transverse or oblique wall formation in asubsidiary cell. Similarly some stomata with one subsidiarycell are also secondary derivatives of the paracytic ones becauseof one of the subsidiary cells assuming the form of an epidermalcell. The development has been traced in 14 species and thatof paracytic stomata may be mesogenous or mesoperigenous, thatof stomata with one subsidiary cell mesogenous but anomocyticstomata are ontogenetically perigenous. Occasionally a meristernoidis cut off from one of the subsidiary cells of a paracytic stoma.The organization of a stoma from such a meristemoid has beentraced.