Morto-anatomia dos Órgãos Vegetativos da Borreria latifolia (Aubl) Shum. e Borreria verticillata (l.) G. Mey. (Rubiaceae)

Abstract

The Rubiaceae family is one of the largest among the dicotyledons, comprising about 10,700 species. Among these, B. latifolia (Aubl.) Shum and B. vertiallata (L.) G. Mey are considered invasive herbs and of great pharmaceutical value. This work aims to contribute to the identification and separation of the taxa through the morpho-anatomy of the vegetative organs of the species. For this, botanical material was collected at the Research Campus of the Goeldi Museum. The samples were fixed and then the usual techniques of plant anatomy were applied. The results show that the species present morphological characteristics in common, such as sessile, simple, opposite leaves and inflorescence in chapters, but in B. latifolia the branches are hairy and the leaf shape is elliptical, while in B. verticillata, the branches are woody, glabrous and the leaves are lanceolate. Regarding the anatomical aspects, the roots in cross section of both species present similar characteristics, that is, tabular lining tissue with isodiametric cells, slightly thickened walls, cortical parenchyma with rounded cells containing calcium carbonate raphides and starch grains, and in the central region longitudinal strands of xylem and phloem form collateral vascular bundles. As for the stem, in cross section, thinly thickened tabular lining cells are observed followed by heterodimensional cortical parenchyma cells. In the leaf, common and differential characteristics are observed between the studied taxa. Both species have tector trichomes, paracitic stomata on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces and are, therefore, amphistomatous. As for the differential anatomical characters we highlight the striated cuticle and the presence of papillae in B. latifolia, absent in B. verticillata. With the above results it was possible to differentiate the studied taxa.