LEAF EPIDERMIS MORPHOLOGY OF SORBUS UMBELLATA (DESF.) FRITSCH (ROSACEAE)
TSVETA GANEVA
Department of Botany, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Corresponding author: tsveta_ganeva@yahoo.com
Keywords: leaf epidermis, stomata, trichomes, quantitative analysis, Sorbus umbellata
Abstract: Leaf epidermis morphology of Sorbus umbellata (Desf.) Fritsch was described and a comparison between the two subspecies - ssp. umbellata and ssp. koevessii (Pénzes) Kárpáti was made. Cuticle ornamentation, epidermis cells, stomata and trichomes were observed by light and scanning electron microscopy and analyzed. The length and the width of the epidermal cells and the stomata were measured and the numbers of stomata and trichomes were counted. All data were processed by the statistical variation method. In result, differences in the upper epidermis cells outlines, smaller sizes of both upper and lower epidermis cells, higher stomata density and increased trichome density on the lower surface were found in the leaves of S. umbellata ssp. koevessii compared to ssp. umbellata. The observed epidermis peculiarities were probably adaptations to the local environment conditions.