Anatomical Traits as an Additional Taxonomic Tool for Munronia pinnata (Wall.) Theob. (Meliaceae) Found in Sri Lanka

R.M. Dharmadasa^1, , P.L. Hettiarachchi² and GAS Premakumara¹

¹Industrial Technology Institute, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka

²Faculty of Applied Sciences, Rajarata University Mihinthale, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Cite this paper

R.M. Dharmadasa, P.L. Hettiarachchi and GAS Premakumara. Anatomical Traits as an Additional Taxonomic Tool for Munronia pinnata (Wall.) Theob. (Meliaceae) Found in Sri Lanka. World Journal of Agricultural Research. 2014; 2(4):142-150. doi: 10.12691/WJAR-2-4-1

Abstract

Munronia pinnata (Wall) Theob. (Meliaceae) is a rare, therapeutically important medicinal plant widely used in traditional systems of medicine in Sri Lanka. Different populations of M. pinnata in Sri Lanka display an array of variable phenotypic characters. However, due to seasonal variations and rare flowering, study of reproductive characters in all populations is not possible. The present study emphasizes on the use of anatomical characters of leaf, stem and petiole of 13 populations of M. Pinnata as a systematic tool. Six monomorphic and 53 polymorphic quantitative and qualitative anatomical characters were scored. Cluster analysis was performed to derive the taxonomic relationship among the populations studied. A single access, indented key which could be used to identify anatomically different populations of M. pinnata was constructed using taxonomically stable anatomical characters. Populations collected from Ritigala reserve possessed distinguished characters such as presence of extra vascular bundles in outer part of the main vascular bundle in the midrib, higher number of epidermal cells in the upper epidermis, four separated parts in the stem vascular bundle and absence of secretory cells in the pith. Therefore, reconsideration of its taxonomic status is suggested. However, the level of taxon has to be decided after numerical analysis of combined taxonomic evidence of different disciplines. This study demonstrates that the importance of anatomical traits as an additional taxonomic tool for correct identification of M. pinnata.

Keywords

anatomy, Munronia pinnata, Meliaceae, Medicinal plant, taxonomic tool

Copyright

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References

[1]	Mabberley, 1995. Meliaceae. In: Dassanayake MD, Forsberg F.R. and Clayton WD. eds. A Revised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylon. Vol ix. Amerind Pub. Co. Ltd. New Delhi 230-239.
[2]	Jayaweera, B.M.A. 1982. Medicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylon- part (IV). 59 Natn. Sci. Coun. Sri Lanka.
[3]	Hooker, J.D, 1872. Flora British India Vol. 2. 542-543 Savills Edwards and Co, Printers, Chandos Street, Covert Garden London.
[4]	Dharmadasa, R.M., Hettiarachchi, P.L. and Premakumara, G.A.S. 2011. Geographical distribution and conservation of a rare medicinal Plant Munronia pinnata (Wall.) Theob.(Meliaceae) in Sri Lanka. Bangladesh J. Plant. Taxon. 18 (1): 39-49.
[5]	Dharmadasa, R.M., Hettiarachchi P.L., and Premakumara G.A.S. 2014. Intraspecific Variation and Taxonomic Delimitation of Munronia pinnata (Meliaceae) in Sri Lanka. World Journal of Agricultural Research 2, No. 1: 26-36.
[6]	Pandey, B.P. 1996. Plant anatomy for degree honours and post graduate students. S Chan & Company Limited, Ram Nagar New Delhi. 461-466,
[7]	Adeniyi A. Jayeola.2009. Micromorphological study of plant fragments in some powdered medicinal plants Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 3(5), 438-442.
[8]	Kundu, S.K.,Tierstedt, P.M.A., 1999.Variation in net photosynthesis,stomatal characteristics, leaf area and whole-plant phytomass production among ten provenances of neem (Azadiracta indica). Tree Physiol. 19, 47-52.
[9]	Stace C 1980. Plant taxonomy and biosystematics. Edward Arnold publisher Ltd, London.
[10]	Pennington, T.D. & Styles, B.T. 1975. A generic monograph of the Meliaceae. Blumea 22: 419-540.
[11]	Radford, A. E. Dickson, W. C., Massey, J. R. and Bell, C. R. 1974. Vascular Plant Systematic. Harper and Row Publishers. New York: P 891.
[12]	Trease, G.E. and Evans, W.C.2002. Pharmacognosy 15th Edn. Saunders, pp 214-239,
[13]	Metcalfe CR, Chalk L. 1957. Anatomy of the Dicotyledons, Systematic Anatomy of the leaf and stem.Vol. I. 2nd Ed. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
[14]	Alexandra N. Muellner, Rosabelle Samuel, Mark W. Chase1, Annette Coleman & Tod F. Stuessy 2008. An evaluation of tribes and generic relationships in Melioideae (Meliaceae) based on nuclear ITS ribosomal DNA. TAXON 57 (1): 98-108.
[15]	Ghahreman A, Khatamsaz M, Ganj-Karimi M. 1999. Leaf epidermal studies in the genus Hyoscymus L. (Solanaceae) in Iran. Iran. J. Bot. 8(1): 81-90.
[16]	Harms H,1940. Meliaceae. In H. Harms and J. Mattfeld [eds.], Die Natuerlichen Pflanzenfamilien, (2nd ed., 19 bI). 1-172. W. Engelmann, Leipzig, Germany.
[17]	Patrick, S. Herendeen & Regis B. Miller. 2000. Utility of wood anatomical characters in cladistic analyses IAWA Journal, Vol. 21 (3): 247-276.
[18]	Shu-Hua Qi, Li Chen, Da-Gang Wu, Yun-Bao Maa and Xiao-Dong Luoa. 2003. Novel tetranortriterpenoid derivatives from Munronia henryi. Tetrahedron 59: 4193-4199.
[19]	Stresburger, E.1866. Ein Beitrag zur Entwicklungsgeschichte der spaltoffnungen, Jahrb. Wiss. Bot. 5: 297-342.