LEAF EPIDERMAL STUDIES IN THE GENUS MILLETTIA WIGHT & ARN. (FABACEAE - PAPILIONOIDAE) IN NIGERIA

Abstract

In view of the controversies in the taxonomy of the genus Millettia (Fabaceae-Papilionoideae), epidermal characteristics that are revealed through light microscopy was conducted on some indigenous Nigerian species. Qualitative characters were noted and recorded while the quantitative features were measured with calibrated ocular under microscope. All the data were recorded and subjected to appropriate statistical analyses. Results from the principal component analyses (PCA) were used to explore variations in the quantitative characters among Millettia species, and cluster analyses were used to ascertain systematic groupings of the taxa. The epidermal cells varied from polygonal to irregular with straight and undulating wall patterns. The stoma types were mainly anomocytic and paracytic. Among the ten species, M. barteria and M. zechiana were amphistomatic while the remaining eight species were hypostomatic. The frequency of stomata varied within the genus with the highest frequency observed in M. dinklagei. The similarity in morphology indicates interspecies relationships, which justify their grouping