Morpho-anatomy of Celtis ehrenbergiana (Celtidaceae) leaves developed under natural light and shadow conditions

Abstract

The aim of this paper was to establish characteristics of Celtis ehrenbergiana(Klotzsch) Liebm. (Celtidaceae) leaves developed under natural sun and shaded conditions. For the study were collected mature leaves. They were taken from the branches located in the middle of the tree crown, and inside branches between the fifth to seventh leaves from the apex of the branch. In the shade leaf, the leaf-limb is thin, herbaceous and light green. The shade leaf structure is bifacial, epidermis with wavy-sinuous anticlinal cell walls, mesophyll formed by palisade and spongy parenchyma, and angular-lacunar collenchyma. The sun leaf type has a thick leaf-limb, leathery and dark green. The sun leaf structure is equifacial, epidermis with straight anticlinal cell walls, mesophyll formed by homogeneous palisade parenchyma, and angular-massive collenchyma. There is nothing to scarcely stomata on adaxial surface in shade type leaf, however they are numerous in the sun type leaf.Celtis ehrenbergiana exhibited phenotypic plasticity. This means it has advantages over other species less adaptable and might be survive to climate changes