Anatomia e ultra-estrutura foliar de Cyperus maritimus Poir. (Cyperaceae): estratégias adaptativas ao ambiente de dunas litorâneas Leaf anatomy and ultrastructure of Cyperus maritimus Poir. (Cyperaceae): adaptive strategies for coastal dune environment

Foram analisados aspectos anatômicos e ultra-estruturais foliares de Cyperus maritimus Poir. visando identificar caracteres adaptativos ao ambiente de dunas litorâneas. Para isto, indivíduos ocorrentes nas dunas da Praia de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, tiveram as folhas submetidas a diferentes análises: microscopia de luz, eletrônica de varredura e de transmissão. Em vista frontal, a epiderme possui tricomas unicelulares, corpos de sílica, cutícula estriada e depósitos de cera. Em secção transversal, a epiderme é unisseriada com parede periclinal externa espessa. Os estômatos são paracíticos, podendo o ostíolo estar obstruído por cera. Abaixo da face adaxial observa-se o parênquima aqüífero. Os feixes vasculares ocorrem em múltiplas fileiras, sendo as periféricas compostas por feixes de diâmetro menor que os feixes da fileira central. Foram observados caracteres relacionados à síndrome Kranz do tipo clorociperóide. Aspectos ultra-estruturais, como cloroplastos presentes na bainha do feixe, esses sem grana evidentes, entre outras características, reforçam a possível ocorrência da via C4 nesta espécie. É a primeira citação para o gênero Cyperus de cloroplasto nas celulas do tecido vascular. Neste trabalho foi possível observar vários caracteres importantes para plantas submetidas a estresse hídrico e salino, como: cera, células epidérmicas com parede periclinal externa espessada, parênquima aqüífero e síndrome Kranz.<br>Anatomical and ultrastructural aspects of Cyperus maritimus Poir. were analyzed with the aim of identifying adaptive features for the dune environment. Collections were made at Pipa beach, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Leaves were submitted to different analyses: light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In frontal view, the epidermis has unicellular trichomes, silica bodies, a striate cuticle and wax deposits. In transverse section, the epidermis is uniseriate with thickened outer periclinal walls. The stomata are paracitic and the pore sometimes obstructed by wax. Under the adaxial epidermis, there are several layers of aqueous parenchyma. The vascular bundles occur in multiple rows, the peripheral row having bundles with narrower diameters than the central row. Characters related to Kranz syndrome of the chlorocyperoid type were observed. Ultrastructural features support a possible C4 pathway in this species. This work is the first citation of chloroplasts in the cells of the vascular system for the genus. In this study, it was possible to observe several important features of plants submitted to water and salt stress, such as: wax, thickened outer periclinal walls of the epidermal cells, aqueous parenchyma and Kranz syndrome

A systematic survey of floral nectaries

The construction of classifications, as well as the understanding of biological diversity, depends upon a careful comparison of attributes of the organisms studied (Stuessy, 1990). It is widely known that data from diverse sources showing differences from taxon to taxon are of systematic significance. Dur-ing the 20th century, systematists have emphasized that their discipline involves a synthesis of all knowledge (Stevens, 1994) or, in other words, the variation of as many relevant characters as possible should be incorporated into the natural system to be constructed. The extent to which particular characters are constant or labile will determine their usefulness to syste-matics. In general, more conservative characters will be valuable in defining families and orders, whereas more labile characters may be useful at the ge-neric and specific levels (Webb, 1984). There is no doubt that floral characters are among the most used in the classification of flowering plants. At the same time, they constitute essential features in diagnostic keys to taxa in both taxonomic treatments and Floras (Cronquist, 1981, 1988).Fil: Bernardello, Gabriel Luis Mario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentin