Proenca & Sajo 2007 (Article) Bromeliaceae, leaf

Anatomia foliar de bromélias ocorrentes em áreas de cerrado do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

Author(s):—S.L. Proença & M.d.G. Sajo

Publication:—Acta bot. bras. 21(3): 657-673. (2007)

Abstract:—Our aim was to indicate typical features of Bromeliaceae as well as possible adaptive features found in cerrado species. We studied the leaves of five Bromelioideae, sevenTillandsioideae and one Pitcairnoideae. Usually the stomata of Bromelioideae are located only on the abaxial leaf surface, there isepidermal and subepidermal mechanical tissue present, as well as water-storage parenchyma, sclerified cells not related to the vasculartissues, and longitudinal air canals. The leaves in Tillandsioideae are densely covered by peltate trichomes, and there are stomata on bothsurfaces and a compact mesophyll. In Pitcairnioideae, the leaf structure is very similar to that of the Bromelioideae but the stomata areslightly raised above epidermal cell level and there are no sclerified cell groups. The results were evaluated in an adaptive and taxonomiccontext.

Keywords:—Bromeliaceae, leaf anatomy, cerrado, São Paulo State