Analysis of leaf epidermal characters of medicinal and poisonous Brazilian menispermaceae

We carried out a multivariate analysis of leaf anatomy of five genera and nine species of Menispermaceae known to be toxic or used as medicinal in Brazil. The dendrogram obtained by Ward's method showed two groups (A and B), with cophenetic correlation coefficient of 0.9178. The group A with six species and two subgroups: the subgroup A1 brought together four species of Cissampelos with anomocytic stomata (Fig 1A), without inclusions of calcium oxalate (Fig.1E) and sclereids; the subgroup A2 with Cissampelos pareira, Odontocarya and Disciphania. The group B consists of Chondrodendron platyphyllum with anticlinal walls cells straight (Fig 1G) and Hyperbaena dominguensis with cyclocytic stomata (Fig.1B), braciform cells in the spongy parenchyma (Fig 1C), and secretory canals (Fig 1D). Cissampelos sympodialis and Chondrodendron platyphyllum were the species with lower similarity in the dendrogram. Financial support: CNPq.

A. anomocytic stomata; B. cyclocytic stomata; C. braciform cells in the spongy parenchyma; D. secretory canals; E: inclusions of calcium oxalate; F. Papillae; G. Anticlinal walls cells straight.