Epidermal microstructures of the leaf,prophyll and nut in the himalayan species ofKobresia (Cyperaceae)

The epidermal structures of the foliage leaves, prophylls (perigynia) and nuts of 26 species and one variety ofKobresia (24 species and one variety from the Himalaya and two species from outside Himalaya) were studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an aim of making clear the relationship among these species. Most of the epidermal structures of the leaf and prophyll showed generic or familial relationships. The epidermal structures of the nuts were found useful for showing inter-specific relationships among morphologically closely related species though these structures were not found to be consistent with the infrageneric classification ofKobresia recognized by Clarke (1894, 1908) and Kükenthal (1909). On the basis of the epidermal structures of the nuts revealed by SEM the species ofKobresia could be put into four groups.