Bull 297 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2024) 18 (2): 297-313. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2024.18.2.0297 ORIGINAL ARTICLE PETAL EPIDERMAL MICROMORPHOLOGY AND ITS TAXONOMIC SIGNIFICANS IN SOME SPECIES OF BIGNONIACEAE FROM EGYPT Samir S. Teleb, Hussein A. Hussein, Riham Shaheen and Marwa M. El-Demerdash♦ Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Zagazig University, Egypt. ♦ Corresponding author: m_demerdash81@yahoo.com Received: 1 Jan. 2024, Revised: 31 May 2024, Accepted: 5 June 2024, Published:20 December 2024 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ABSTRACT Micromorphological characters of petals in 8 genera representing 12 taxa of Bignoniaceae from Egypt were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to evaluate their taxonomic importance in petal epidermal micromorphology, including epidermal cell types (areolate, papillose conical, and areolate mixed with papillose conical), trichome types (non- glandular; funnel shape, flexible and stiff-bristly, and glandular; peltate, capitate, cupular, stipitate, and patelli-form), trichome ornamentation (striate, verucate, and smooth, and stomata on both the abaxial and adaxial surfaces. Stomata are present in all species except Jacaranda acutifolia Humb. & Bonpl., 1806 and Markhamia zanzibarica (Bojer ex DC.) K. Schum., 1895. We used the past 4.03 program to performs a statistical analysis on the data set matrices using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA, and a phylogram was produced. Our result showed that the two studied genera of Markhamia Seem. ex Baill. ,1888 and Tabebuia Gomes ex DC., 1838 showed support for the monophyly, however, Tecoma (Juss., 1789) are not monophyletic genera. Keywords: Bignoniaceae, Petal, SEM, Trichomes, UPGMA. INTRODUCTION The family Bignoniaceae comprises 80 genera and about 840 species, the majority of which are tropical. Only a few species are found in warm temperate climates (Fischer et al., 2004(. According to Lohmann and Ulloa (2019), it is a medium-sized collection of trees, shrubs, lianas, and climbers. Flowers that are terminal, axillary, racemic, or solitary are typically noticeable. Five-petaled calyx that is occasionally bilobed or unlobed and infrequently has a calyptra. A five-petalled, frequently 2-lipped, infrequently subrotating, imbricate, or infrequently valvate corolla. Androecium linked to the tube; stamens four, didynamous in two pairs; fifth (adaxial) stamen staminodial or absent; rarely, all five stamens fertile; more frequently, two fertile and three staminodial. Ovary superior, 2-carpellate, bilocular with a dividing septum, occasionally unilocular or 4-locular, placentation axile, style with 2-lobed stigma (Endress, 1996). BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Iraq Natural History Research Center & Museum, University of Baghdad https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home Copyright © Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum Online ISSN: 2311-9799-Print ISSN: 1017-8678 https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2024.18.2.0297 mailto:m_demerdash81@yahoo.com https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home 298 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology According to Fischer et al. (2004), the petal surface microstructure of cells differs from other plant components in terms of its distinctive optical qualities. Petal micromorphological features in angiosperms have been demonstrated to be useful for taxonomic identification and as a source of phylogenetically informative attributes in a range of taxa, including Asteraceae (Compositae) (Baagøe, 1977, 1980; Hansen, 1991; Angulo and Dematteis, 2014). Boraginaceae (Akçin, 2009), Polygonaceae (Hong et al., 1998; Kong and Hong, 2018), Commelinaceae (Chwil, 2011), Orchidaceae (Barone Lumaga et al., 2012, and Menispermaceae (Wang et al., 2018). Trichomes are present in the floral and vegetative portions of Bignoniaceae plants. Bureau and Schumann (1864) published the first documented report on the glandular trichomes of this family, followed by Schumann (1895), Sandwith (1938), and Siebert (1940, 1948), who demonstrated the taxonomic significance of the trichomes within the family and attempted to group them in 9-10 categories based on their position and structure after determining their taxonomic significance within the family. Trichomes are characterized as either glandular or non-glandular (Werker, 2000). Based on their shape, papillate (protruded), lenticular (elongated), or flat, different types of epidermal cells have been observed in petals (Kay et al., 1981; Ojeda et al., 2009). The quantity and size of protrusions on these cells, as well as the cuticular striations, differ from one another. Distinct species may contain distinct arrangements and configurations of these epidermal cell types. In 201 angiosperm species, the distribution of the various epidermal cell types in the petals has been investigated, about 78% of the species showed papillate types of cells, which were primarily found on the adaxial surface and sporadically occurring on the abaxial side (Kay et al., 1981). The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) application has significantly enhanced our comprehension of the surface attributes of diverse vegetative and reproductive organs, while also providing significant taxonomic information (Barthlott, 1981; Stace, 1984; Ozcan, 2002). Gentry (1980) provided a thorough description of the taxonomic history, which was summarized by Sprangler and Olmstead (1999), and Fischer et al. (2004) recently classified the family. The African and Asian grouping, which consists of almost 29 genera and 115 species, are the components of the family that is still poorly understood (Lohmann and Ulloa, 2007). The aims of this work were to document and exhibit a complete description of petal micromorphology of Handroanthus Mattos., 1970; Jacaranda Juss., 1789, Kigelia Dc., 1838; Markhamia Seem. ex Baill.,1888; Parmentiera Dc.,1838; Spathodea Beauverd,1805; Tabebuia Gomes,1838; Tecoma Juss.,1789, from Egypt, using field emission scanning electron microscopy, as well as to assess the taxonomic or diagnostic significance of petal micromorphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Collection of plant material: Eight horticultural taxa representing the genera; Handroanthus Mattos.,1970; Jacaranda Juss,1789; Kigella Dc.,1838; Markhamia Seem. ex Baill.,1888; Parmentiera Dc.,1838; Spathodea Beauverd,1805; Tabebuia Gomes ex DC.,1838; Tecoma 299 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Juss.,1789 were the subject of this study (Tab. 1). Fresh plant samples were collected during April, May, and September from EL-Orman Botanical Garden in Egypt. The EL-Orman Botanical Garden, in Giza, Egypt, created the voucher herbarium specimens and compared them for identification with genuine ones. These reference specimens were archived in the herbarium of the Botany and Microbiology department at Zagazig University in Egypt. The International Plant Names Index's webpages (www.ipni.org./ipni/query_ipni.html) were used to double-check the scientific names and author citations. Additionally, the www.theplantlist.org website is utilized to check the acceptable scientific names in use. Plant sampling: Fresh mature flowers were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol for 24-48 hours after treatment in FAA solution (5:5:50:40 Formaldehyde, Glacial Acetic Acid, 95% ETOH, and distilled water) (Johansen, 1940). Both the stereo microscope and the OPTECH-light were used to analyze fresh and dry specimens. By using SEM, the ultrastructural characteristics of petals were seen and captured on camera. Using a scanning electron microscope (JEOL- JSM-6510 LV) at Mansoura University in Egypt, sections of dried petals (abaxial and adaxial half) were mounted on stubs without any prior preparation, coated with gold, and studied at various magnification powers. Statistical analyses: In Tables (2, 3), features related to trichome type, epidermal type, and stomata presence are listed in comparison for the researched taxa. Through the inspection of specimens, characters and character states were identified and categorized as multistate characters. A multistate matrix was used to analyze the data matrix. A dendrogram was created to depict the relationships between the taxa after the data matrix underwent cluster analysis using UPGMA (unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) and the Jaccard similarity index. The past 4.03 program was used for all studies (Hammer et al., 2001). Table (1): The studied taxa of Bignoniaceae with related tribe senso Schumann (1895). Tribe senso Schumann (1895) Voucher numbers Taxa No. Tecomeae 000933TC Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. e DC.) Mattos = (Tabebuia palmeri Rose.) 1 Tecomeae 000372JC Jacaranda acutifolia Humb. & Bonpl. = ( J. ovalifolia R. Br., J. mimosifolia D. Don) 2 Crescentieae 000501KC Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth. = ( K. tristis A.Chev. , Sotor aethiopiumm Fenzl. , K.pinnata (Jacq.) DC., =Tecoma Africana(Lam) G. Don 3 Tecomeae 000572MC Markhamia lutea (Benth.) K.Schum. =(M. hildebrandtii (Baker) Sprague, Dolichandrone hildebrandtii Baker) 4 Tecomeae 000580MC Markhamia zanzibarica (Bojer ex DC.) K.Schum.= (M. stenocarpa (Baker) K.Schum.) 5 300 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology Crescentieae 000630PC Parmentiera aculeata (Kunth) Seem.= (Crescentia edulis Desy., Parmentiera edulis DC.) 6 Tecomeae 000873SC Spathodea campanulata (P. Beauv). =(S. tulipifera Schum., S. danckelmaniana Buttner, Bignonia tulipifera Schum.) 7 Tecomeae 000923TC Tabebuia aurea (Benth. &Hook.)= (Tabebuia argentea Bureau &K.Schum.) 8 Tecomeae 000938TC Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC. =( T. pentaphylla var. normalis Kuntze, T. punctatissima Kraenzl.) 9 Tecomeae 000933TC Tecomaria capensis (Thunb.) Spach.= (T.krebsii Klotzsch , T. petersii Klotzsch, , Ducoudraea capensis Bureau) 10 Tecomeae 000942TC Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth= (Bignonia stans L., Bignonia tecomoides DC 11 Tecomeae EGY- MAZHAR020401 23 Tecoma stans var. angustata (Rehder) 12 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The micromorphological traits have been instrumental in the present classification of angiosperms and have provided valuable insights into the evolution and taxonomy of seed plants. The epidermal surface acts as a functional border layer between the living material and its environment, and interactions with the environment must pass through it. Many authors emphasized the value of petals, which had never been done previously, of leaf, fruit, seed, epidermis, and its ornamentation or surface sculpturing in identifying taxa and determining their relationships (Webb et al., 1990; Rejdali, 1991; Stace, 1984; Manning et al., 1991; Husain et al., 1990; Eldemerdash et al., 2021). The significance of the micro-sculpture in the petals of flowers in the family Orobanchaceae as well as the family Rosaceae was reported by Piwowarczyk and Kasińska (2017) and Song et al. (2020). Additionally, research has demonstrated that the infraspecific taxa can be separated using the micromorphology of the petals (Piwowarczyk and Kasińska, 2017). The use of SEM in stuyding petal micromorphology has viewed new finer details on their surface which, helped in taxa delimitation and identification in many taxonomic treatments as well as in solving many taxonomic and evolutionary problems (Metcalfe and Chalk, 1979; Ozcan, 2009). The examined species displayed a diversity of morphological traits, including trichomes (both glandular and non-glandular), trichome ornamentation (striate, verucate, and smooth), different types of epidermal cells, and stomata. It has been noted in angiosperm taxa that different types of epidermal sculpture can occasionally coexist within a single petal (Ojeda et al., 2009). All species in our study had areolate epidermal types on the abaxial surface, which is different from the adaxial side's areolate, papillose conical, and mixture of these types. The characteristics of trichomes on epidermal surfaces have been demonstrated in numerous studies to be significant criteria for classification (Adedeji et al., 2007; Hassan and Hamdy, 2023), and have long been used in delimiting species, genera, or families (Adedeji, 2007; 301 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Hayat et al., 2009; Shaheen et al., 2009; Saheed and Illoh, 2010; Ajmal and Al Hemaid, 2011; Kemka and Nwachukwu, 2011; Al Sheef et al., 2013; Khosroshahi and Salmaki, 2019). Table (2): Micro-morphological characters of the studied taxa. Adaxial Abaxial T ax a C h ar ac te rs N o . E p id e rm al t y p e T ri ch o m e o rn am en ta ti o n Trichomes E p id er m al ty p e T ri ch o m e o rn am en ta ti o n Trichomes G la n d u la r N o n - g la n d u la r G la n d u la r N o n - g la n d u la r A re o la te st ri at e P el ta te C ap it at e U n ic el lu la r an d b ic el lu la r (f le x ib le ) A re o la te V er u ca te C ap it at e b ic el lu la r an d m u lt ic el lu la r (s ti ff -b ri st ly ) H a n d ro a n - th u s im p et ig in o su s 1 A re o la te v er u ca te C ap it at e U n ic el lu la r, b ic el lu la r an d m u lt ic el lu la r (S ti ff -b ri st ly ) an d f u n n el - sh ap e A re o la te V er u ca te A b se n t U n ic el lu la r, b ic el lu la r an d m u lt ic el lu la r (S ti ff -b ri st ly ) an d f u n n el - sh ap e Ja ca ra n d a a cu ti fo li a 2 A re o la te m ix ed w it h p ap il lo se co n ic al sm o o th P el ta te S ti p it at e P at el li -f o rm U n ic el lu la r (f le x ib le ) A re o la te S tr ia te P el ta te C ap it at e U n ic el lu la r an d b ic el lu la r (s ti ff - b ri st ly ) K ig el ia a fr ic a n a 3 A re o la te m ix ed w it h p ap il lo se co n ic al v er u ca te C ap it at e B ic el lu la r an d m u lt ic el lu la r fl ex ib le A re o la te V er u ca te P el ta te A b se n t M a rk h a m ia lu te a 4 . p ap il lo se co n ic al v er u ca te P el ta te A b se n t A re o la te V er u ca te P el ta te A b se n t M a rk h a m ia za n zi b a ri ca 5 . A re o la te v er u ca te P el ta te U n ic el lu la r (f le x ib le A re o la te V er u ca te L ar g e su n k en A b se n t P a rm en ti er a ed u li s 6 . A re o la te m ix ed w it h p ap il lo se c o n ic al v er u ca te P el ta te C ap it at e A b se n t A re o la te V er u ca te P el ta te C ap it at e A b se n t S p a th o d ea ca m p a n u la ta 7 . 302 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology The different types of trichomes previously described by Luckwill (1943), and reported by Channarayappa et al. (1992) aimed specifically to limit the diversity of trichomes to glandular and non-glandular types. Although, this fundamental classification is unable to account for the vast differences between types of glandular and non-glandular trichomes (Watts and Kariyat, 2021). Trichomes, which serve various purposes and are found on the surface of petals belonging to the Bignoniaceae family, exhibit variability in their abundance within plants. Their structure and morphology can serve as taxonomic significance for intrageneric classification (Muravnik et al., 2021; Hassan and Hamdy, 2023). As a result, an attempt has been made in the current work to recognize the diversity and distribution pattern of different types of floral trichomes observed on petal surfaces within the species examined, principally to assess their importance and taxonomic value. The systematic importance of glandular trichomes on the floral sections of the Bignoniaceae family has been widely recognized (Schumann, 1895; Sandwith, 1938; Seibert, 1940). Members of the Bignoniaceae family often have peltate trichomes (Seibert, 1948). Tables (2-5) provide a summary of the micro- morphological traits of all analyzed taxa as well as their state and taxa versus character data matrix. At the abaxial surface, trichomes were non-glandular and glandular. Non-glandular; funnel-shape, unicellular, bicellular, and multicellular stiff-bristly in Jacaranda acutifolia (Pl. 1A), unicellular and bicellular stiff-bristly in Kigelia africana ( Pl. 1D), bicellular and multicellular stiff (Handroanthus impetiginosus, Pl. 2B), multicellular stiff-bristly in Tecoma stans (Pl. 2K) and Tecoma stans var. angustata( Pl. 2L), unicellular flexible Tecomaria capensis( Pl. 2G) and absent in the other species. Glandular trichomes were cupular in Tecomaria capensis (Pl. 2H), large sunken Parmentiera edulis (Pl. 1M), capitate in Kigelia A re o la te st ri at e A b se n t U n ic el lu - la r (f le x ib le A re o la te V er u ca te P el ta te A b se n t T a b eb u ia a rg en te a 8 . A re o la te m ix ed w it h p ap il lo se co n ic al st ri at e A b se n t U n ic el lu l ar (f le x ib le A re o la te V er u ca te P el ta te A b se n t T a b eb u ia ro se a 9 . p ap il lo se co n ic al st ri at e P el ta te C ap it at e m u lt ic el lu la r (f le x ib le ) A re o la te S m o o th P el ta te C ap it at e C u p u la r U n ic el lu la r (f le x ib le ) T ec o m a ri a ca p en si s 1 0 . A re o la te m ix ed w it h p ap il lo se co n ic al st ri at e C ap it at e M u lt ic el lu la r (s ti ff -b ri st ly ) A re o la te V er u ca te A b se n t M u lt ic el lu la r (s ti ff -b ri st ly ) T ec o m a st a n s 1 1 . A re o la te st ri at e C ap it at e M u lt ic el lu la r ( st if f- b ri st ly ) A re o la te V er u ca te A b se n t M u lt ic el lu la r (s ti ff - b ri st ly ) T ec o m a - S ta n s va r. a n g u st a ta 1 2 . 303 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. africana (Pl. 2I), Spathodea campanulata (Pl. 1N), Handroanthus impetiginosus Pl. 2E and Tecomaria capensis (Pl. 3C), peltate (Kigelia africana Pl. 1C, Markhamia lutea (Pl. 1E), Markhamia zanzibarica (Pl. 1F), Spathodea campanulata (Pl. 2A), Tabebuia argentea( Pl. 2D), Tabebuia rosea (Pl. 2E), and Tecomaria capensis (Pl. 2F), and absent in the other species. Epidermal type was areolate in all species and stomata were absent in Jacaranda acutifolia, and Markhamia zanzibarica was present in the other species. The stomata were depressed in T. rosea, at level (H. impetiginosus and T. capensis) and superficial at the other species. The stomatal outline was elongated in H. impetiginosus, T. rosea, T. stans and T. stans var. angustata and suborbiculate in the other species. Table (3): Stomatal characters of studied taxa. Adaxial Abaxial Stomatal aperture S to m at al o u tl in e S to m at al le v el S to m at al p re se n ce Stomatal aperture S to m at al o u tl in e S to m at al le v el S to m at al p re se n ce C T W id th sh ap e w id th S h ap e A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t W id e E ll ip ti c E lo n g at e A t a le v el p re se n t 1 A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t 2 W id e E ll ip ti c S u b o rb ic u la te A t a le v el P re se n t W id e E ll ip ti c S u b o rb - ic u la te S u p er fi - ci al P re se n t 3 A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t P re se n t 4 A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t 5 A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t W id e E ll ip ti c S u b o rb - ic u la te S u p er fi -c ia l P re se n t 6 W id e E ll ip ti c S u b o rb ic u la te A t a le v el p re se n t W id e E ll ip ti c S u b o rb - ic u la te S u p er fi - ci al P re se n t 7 A 304 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t N ar ro w E ll ip ti c S u b o rb - ic u la te S u p er fi - ci al P re se n t 8 A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t W id e E ll ip ti c E lo n g at e D ep re - ss ed P re se n t 9 N ar ro w R o u n d S u b o rb ic u la te S u p er fi c ia l p re se n t N ar ro w E ll ip ti c S u b o rb - ic u la te A t a le v el P re se n t 1 0 A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t N ar ro w E ll ip ti c E lo n g at e S u p er fi - ci al P re se n t 1 1 A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t A b se n t N ar ro w E ll ip ti c E lo n g at e S u p er fi - ci al P re se n t 1 2 Table (4): Micro-morphological characters, their state and codes of taxa under investigation. Character state and its (code) Character Absent (0) Unicellular flexible (1) bicellular and multicellular flexible (2) bicellular and Multicellular stiff (3) Multicellular stiff (4) Unicellular and bicellular flexible (5) Unicellular and bicellular stiff (6) Unicellular, bicellular and multicellular stiff and Funnel shape (7) 1.1. Non- glandular 1.Trichomes Absent (0) Peltate (1) Capitate (2) Peltate and Capitate (3) Peltate, Capitate and Cupular (4) Peltate, stipitate and Patelli- form (5) large sunken (6) 1.2. glandular Smooth (0) Verucate (1) striate (2) 2.Trichome ornamentation Areolate (0) Papillose conical (1) Areolate mixed with papillose (2) 3.epidermal type Absent (0) Present (1) 4.Stomatal presence Absent (0) Superficial (1) Depressed (2) At a level (3) 5. Stomatal level Absent (0) Elongate (1) Suborbiculate (2) 6. Stomatal shape Absent (0) Elliptic (1) Round (2) 7. Stomatal aperture shape Absent (0) Wide (1) Narrow (2) 8. Stomatal aperture width 305 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Table (5): Data matrix of 3 micro-morphological characters of all studied taxa. At the adaxial surface, trichomes were Non-glandular and glandular. non-glandular trichomes were funnel-shape, unicellular, bicellular, and multicellular stiff-bristly in Jacaranda acutifolia (Pl. 1A), multicellular stiff-bristly Tecoma stans Pl. 2K and Tecoma stans var. angustata (Pl. 2L), unicellular flexible Kigelia africana (Pl. 1F), Parmentiera edulis (Pl. 1K), Tabebuia argentea (Pl. 2A) and Tabebuia rosea (Pl. 2E), bicellular and multicellular flexible Markhamia lutea (Pl. 1H), multicellular flexible Tecomaria capensis (Pl. 2J), and unicellular and bicellular flexible Handroanthus impetiginosus (Pl. 2D) and absent in the other species. Glandular trichomes were absent in Tabebuia argentea and Tabebuia rosea, stipitate ,patelliform in Kigelia Africana (Pl. 1G, E, and F), peltate trichomes found in Kigelia Africana (Pl. 1F), Markhamia lutea Pl. 1H, Markhamia zanzibarica Pl. 1J, Parmentiera edulis Pl. 1L, Spathodea campanulata Pl. 1N, Handroanthus impetiginosus Pl. 2C, and Tecomaria capensis Pl. 2F) and capitate trichomes found in (Jacaranda acutifolia Pl. 1B, Markhamia lutea Pl. 1I, Spathodea campanulata Pl. 1N, Handroanthus impetiginosus Pl. 2D, Tecomaria capensis Pl. 2I, Tecoma stans Pl. 2K, Tecoma stans var. angustata Pl .2L). It has also been noted in angiosperm taxa that different types of epidermal sculpture can occasionally coexist within a single petal (Ojeda et al., 2009). Epidermal type was papillose conical in Markhamia zanzibarica and Tecomaria capensis, areolate (Jacaranda acutifolia, Parmentiera edulis, Tabebuia argentea and Handroanthus impetiginosus Pl. 2B), and areolate mixed with papillose conical in the other species. Stomata were present in Kigelia africana, Spathodea campanulata, and Tecomaria capensis while absent in the other species and superficial in T. capensis and at level at the rest. Stomata were suborbiculata in the four species. From the obtained dendrogram (Diag. 1), the species under study were separated into two series; series I and II. Series I comprises nine of the studied species at a taxonomic distance of 0.53 and series II contains the remaining three species at a taxonomic distance of 0.51. Series Adaxial Abaxial C T 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 5 1 1 1 3 1 0 1 2 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 7 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 0 5 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 2 3 6 3 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 6 0 6 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 3 0 1 1 2 1 1 0 1 3 0 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 2 1 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 1 1 0 9 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 3 4 2 1 2 3 1 0 0 4 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 4 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 4 11 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 4 2 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 4 12 306 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology I includes two clusters; C1 and C2. C1 contains six species: P. edulis, H. impetiginosus, T. rosea, T. aurea, T. stans, and T. stans var. angustata due to sharing characters as the presence of stomata and areolate epidermal type at the abaxial surface. Parmentiera belongs to the tribe crescentieae, while in our study it is closer to Tecomeae tribe. Handroanthus impetiginosus was recently segregated into a separate genus, a treatment that matches the phylogenetic reclassification of many Tabebuia plants reported in our study as T. aurea, T. rosea and T. palmeri. C2 contains K. africana, T. capensis, and S. campanulata. Fischer et al. (2004), Goldblatt and Gentry (1979), and Gentry (1980) recommended that Tecomaria capensis should be included with Tecoma; however, our results showed that it is closer to Kigelia which belongs to tribe crescentieae according to Schumann (1895) and tribe coleeae according to Fischer (2004) but in our study it is closer to Tecomeae tribe. Series II comprise one cluster; C3 which contains 3 species belonging to tribe Tecomeae; M. lutea, M. zanzibarica, and J. acutifolia due to sharing characters viz. having areolate epidermal type and absence of stomata at the abaxial side. Plate (1): SEM showing morphological diversity of trichomes on abaxial and adaxial surfaces of petals in Jacaranda acutifolia (A, B), Kigelia africana (C-G), Markhamia lutea (H,I), Markhamia zanzibarica (J), Parmentiera edulis (K- M), Spathodea campanulata (N) and Tabebuia aurea (O). (fn=funnel shape, sf=stiff, cp=capitate, pt=peltate, pl=patelliform, fx=flexible trichome, sn=sunken and st=stipitate). 307 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Diagram (1): UPGMA dendrogram illustrating the hierarchical phenetic relationships between 12 taxa of Bignoniaceae based on numerical analysis of petal micromorphological characters. CONCLUSIONS In this study, Petal micromorphological characters address the identification, classification and elucidation of species affinity and relationship between studied taxa. The SEM results revealed the presence of considerable taxonomic variations among the various species. The Petal surface micromorphology provided effective data on their characters as epidermal cell, Trichomes type, trichome ornamentation, stomatal presence, stomatal level, stomatal outline and stomatal aperture shape and width which provided useful character to distinguish Bignoniaceae members at tribe level. These results showed that the abaxial and adaxial surface of the petal ornamentation, could divide the species into two series, three clusters according to micromorphological character. The results suggested taxonomic significance of petal structure among species of Bignoniaceae family. CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT "The authors have no conflict of interest to declare". SI SII C1 C2 C3 308 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology LITERATURE CITED Adedeji, O., Ajuwon, O. Y. and Babawale, O. 2007. Foliar epidermal studies, organographic distribution and taxonomic importance of trichomes in the family Solanaceae. International Journal of Botany, 3(3): 276-282. [CrossRef] Ajmal, A. M. and Al-Hemaid, F. M. A. 2011. Taxonomic significance of trichome micromorphology in cucurbits. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 18(1): 87-92. [CrossRef] Akçın, Ö. E. 2009. Micromorphological and anatomical studies on petals of 11 Turkish Onosma L. (Boraginaceae) taxa. Bangladesh Journal of Plant Taxonomy, 16(2): 157– 164. [CrossRef] Al Sheef, N. B., Duletić-Laušević, S. N., Janošević, D., Budimir S. M., Marin, M., Alimpić, A., Giweli, A. A. M. and Marin, P. D. 2013. Micromorphology and ultrastructure of trichomes of Libyan Salvia fruticosa Mill. Archives of Biological Science Belgrade, 65(1): 239-248. [CrossRef] Angulo, M. B. and Dematteis, M. 2014. Floral microcharacters in Lessingianthus (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) and their taxonomic implications. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 300: 1925- 1940. [CrossRef] Barone Lumaga, M. R., Pellegrino, G. Bellusci, F., Perrotta E., Perrotta, I. D. A. and Musacchio, A. 2012. Comparative floral micromorphology in four sympatric species of Serapias (Orchidaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 169(4): 714-724. [CrossRef] Baagøe, J. 1977. Taxonomical applications of ligule microcharacters in Compositae. 1. Anthemideae, Heliantheae and Tageteae. Botanisk Tidsskrift, 71: 192-223. Baagøe, J. 1980. SEM-studies in ligules of Lactuceae (Compositae). Botanisk Tidsskrift 75(2/3): 199-217. [CrossRef] Barone Lumaga, M. R., Pellegrino, G. Bellusci, F., Perrotta, E., Perrotta, I. D. A. and Musacchio, A. 2012. Comparative floral micromorphology in four sympatric species of Serapias (Orchidaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 169(4): 714-724. [CrossRef] Barthlott, W. 1981. Epidermal and seed surface characters of plants: systematic applicability and some evolutionary aspects. Nordic Journal of Botany, 1(3): 345-355. [CrossRef] Bureau, E. and Schumann, K. 1896. Bignoniaceae. In: Martius et al., (eds) Flora Brasiliensis, vol. 8(2): 1-452. F. Fleischer & Co, Lipsiae [Leipzig], 38pp. https://doi.org/10.3923/ijb.2007.276.282 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2010.10.003 https://doi.org/10.3329/bjpt.v16i2.3928 https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS1301239S https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-014-1019-7 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2012.01253.x https://pure.kb.dk/en/publications/sem-studies-in-ligules-of-lactuceae-compositae https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2012.01253.x https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1981.tb00704 309 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Channarayappa, C., Shivashankar, G., Muniyappa, V. and Frist, R. H. 1992. Resistance of Lycopersicon species to Bemisia tabaci, a tomato leaf curl virus vector. Canadian Journal of Botany, 70(11): 2184-2192. [CrossRef] Chwil, M. 2011. Micromorphology and anatomy of the floral elements of Tradescantia × andersoniana W. Ludw. Rohweder. Acta Agrobotanica, 64(2): 15-24. [CrossRef] Dipa, C. and Daniel, M. 2011. Foliar trichomes of some members of the family Acanthaceae and their taxonomic utility. International Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, 2(3): 231-235. [CrossRef] El-Demerdash, M. M., El-Sayed, A. S., Georg, N. M., Abou-Elnour, A. and Nosier, H. 2021. Biosystematic studies of some Egyptian species of Cestrum (Solanaceae). Molecular Biology Reports, 48(5): 4497-4515. [CrossRef] Endress, P. K. 1996. Diversity and evolutionary biology of tropical flowers. Cambridge University Press. [CrossRef] Fischer, E., Theisen, I. and Lohmann, L. G. 2004. Bignoniaceae. In: Kadereit, J. W.(ed.). The families and genera of flowering plants, Vol. 7. Springer, Berlin, p 9-38. [CrossRef] Gentry, A. H. 1980. Bignoniaceae: part I (Crescentieae and tourrettieae). Flora Neotropica, 25(1): 1-130. [CrossRef] Goldblatt, P. and Gentry, A. H. 1979. Cytology of Bignoniaceae. Botaniska Notiser, 132(4): 475 - 482. [CrossRef] Hansen, H. V. 1991. Phylogenetic studies in Compositae tribe Mutisieae. Opera Botanica, 109: 1-50. [CrossRef] Hammer, Ø., Harper, D.A.T. and Ryan, P. D. 2001. Past: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica, 4(1): 1-9. [CrossRef] Hassan, R. A. and Hamdy, R. 2023. Comparative study on trichomes types of wild species of Solanum (Solanales, Solanacea) in Egypt and its taxonomic significance. Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum 17(3): 349-373. [CrossRef] Hayat, M. Q., Asraf, M., Khan, M. A., Yasmin, G., Shaheen, N. and Jabeen, S. 2009. Diversity of foliar trichomes and their systematic implications in the genus Artemisia (Asteraceae). International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 11(5): 542-546. [CrossRef] https://doi.org/10.1139/b92-270 https://pbsociety.org.pl/journals/index.php/aa/article/download/aa.2011.013/1102 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289232338 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-021-06471-1 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(00)89041-2 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18617-2_2 https://www.jstor.org/stable/4393736 https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Bignoniaceae http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.1990.tb00537.x http://palaeo-electronica.org/2001_1/past/issue1_01.htm https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2023.17.3.0349 https://www.fspublishers.org/published_papers/91324_..pdf 310 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology Hong, S. P., Decraene, L. P. R. and Smets, E. 1998. Significance of tepal surface morphology in tribes Persicarieae and Polygoneae (Polygonaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 127(2) 91-116. [CrossRef] Husain, S. Z., Marin P. D., Šilić, Č., Qaiser, M. and Petcovic, B. 1990. A micromorphological study of some representative genera in the tribe Saturejeae (Lamiaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 103(1):59-80. [CrossRef] Johansen, D.A. 1940. Plant Microtechnique. McGraw-Hill, viii + 523 pp. Kay, Q. O. N., Daoud, H. S. and Stirton, C. H. 1981. Pigment distribution, light reflection and cell structure in petals. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 83(1): 57-83. [CrossRef] Kemka, C. I. and Nwachukwu, C. U. 2011. Epidermal micromorphology of species in the genus Crasocephalum Moench. S. More (Compositae) in Nigeria. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Clinical Science, 3: 31-41. [CrossRef] Khosroshahi, E. E. and Salmaki, Y. 2019. Evolution of trichome types and its systematic significance in the genus Phlomoides (Lamioideae– Lamiaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany, 37(5): 1-14. [CrossRef] Kong, M. J. and Hong, S. P. 2018. The taxonomic consideration of floral morphology in the Persicaria sect. Cephalophilon (Polygonaceae). Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy, 48(3): 185-194. [CrossRef] Ii, A. 2003. An update of the angiosperm phylogeny group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG II. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 141(4): 399-436. [CrossRef] Lohmann, L. G. and Ulloa, C. U. 2019. Bignoniaceae. In: iPlants prototype Checklist. [CrossRef] Lohmann, L. G. and C. U. Ulloa. 2007. Bignoniaceae in iPlants prototype checklist. [Click here] Luckwill, L. C. 1943. The genus Lycopersicon: a historical, biological, and taxonomic survey of the wild and cultivated tomatoes. Aberdeen University Press, Aberdeen, Scotland, 44 pp. Manning, J. C. and Goldblatt, P. 1991. Systematic and phylogenetic significance of the seed coat in the shrubby African Iridaceae, Nivenia, Klattia and Witsenia. Botanical journal of the Linnean Society, 107(4): 387-404. [CrossRef] https://doi.org/10.1006/bojl.1997.0162 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1990.tb00174.x https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1981.tb00129.x https://www.yumpu.com/s/Y54ihYBjipyvqWdi https://doi.org/10.1111/njb.02132 https://doi.org/10.11110/kjpt.2018.48.3.185 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1095-8339.2003.t01-1-00158.x https://doi.org/10.1590/2175-7860202273064 http://www.iplants.org/ http://www.iplants.org/ https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1991.tb00229.x 311 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Metcalfe, C. R. and Chalk, L. 1979. Anatomy of the dicotyledons. Systematic anatomy of leaf and stem, with a brief history of the subject. Clarendon Press, ii + 1500 pp. Muravnik, L. E., Mosina, A. A., Zaporozhets, N. L., Bhattacharya, R., Saha, S., Ghissing, U. and Mitra, A. 2021. Glandular trichomes of the flowers and leaves in Millingtonia hortensis (Bignoniaceae). Planta, 253(13):1-17. [CrossRef] Ojeda, I., Francisco-Ortega, J. and Cronk, Q. C. B. 2009. Evolution of petal epidermal micromorphology in Leguminosae and its use as a marker of petal identity. Annals of Botany, 104(6): 1099-1110. [CrossRef] Olmstead, R. G., Bremer, B., Scott, K. M. and Palmer, J. D. 1993. A parsimony analysis of the Asteridae sensu lato based on rbcL sequences. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 80(3): 700-722. [CrossRef] Özcan, T. 2002. SEM observations on petals and fruits of some Turkish endemic Bupleurum L. (Umbelliferae) species. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 138(4): 441- 449. [CrossRef] Özcan, T. and Zorlu, E. 2009. A contribution to taxonomy of Turkish Linum based on seed surface patterns. Biologia, 64(4): 723-730. [CrossRef] Piwowarczyk, R. and Kasińska, J. 2017. Petal epidermal micromorphology in holoparasitic Orobanchaceae and its significance for systematics and pollination ecology. Australian Systematic Botany, 30(1): 48-63. [CrossRef] Rejdali, M. 1991. Leaf micromorphology and taxonomy of North African species of Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae). Botanical journal of the Linnean Society, 107(1): 67-77. [CrossRef] Saheed, S. A and Illoh, H. C. 2010. A taxonomic study of some species in Cassiinae (Leguminosae) using leaf epidermal characters. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 38(1): 21-27. [CrossRef] Sandwith, N. Y. 1939. Contributions to the flora of tropical America: XXXIX. Results of a recent collecting expedition to British Guiana. Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), 1939(1): 3-26. [CrossRef] Schumann, K. 1895. Bignoniaceae. Die Naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien, 4: 189-252. Shaheen, N., Ajab, M., Yasmin, G. and Hayat, M. Q. 2009. Diversity of foliar trichomes and their systematic relevance in the genus Hibiscus (Malvaceae). International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 11(3): 279-284. [CrossRef] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00425-020-03541-9 https://doi.org/10.1093%2Faob%2Fmcp211 https://www.jstor.org/stable/i317486 https://doi.org/10.2307/2399855 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1095-8339.2002.00018.x DOI%20;https:/doi.org/10.2478/s11756-009-0123-6 https://doi.org/10.1071/SB16028 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1991.tb00215.x https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha3813490 https://doi.org/10.2307/4118170 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1991.tb00215.x 312 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18(2): 297-313. Petal epidermal micromorphology Seibert, R. J. 1940. The Bignoniaceae of the Maya area. Publications of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 522: 377-437. Seibert, R. J. 1948. The use of glands in a taxonomic consideration of the family Bignoniaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 35(2): 123-137. [CrossRef] Song, J. H., Roh, H. S. and Hong, S. P. 2020. Petal micromorphology and its systematic implications in Rosaceae tribe Spiraeeae. Brittonia, 72(2): 111-122. [CrossRef] Spangler, R. E. and Olmstead, R. G. 1999. Phylogenetic analysis of Bignoniaceae based on the cpDNA gene sequences rbcL and ndhF. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 86(1): 33-46. [CrossRef] Stace, C. A. 1984. The taxonomic importance of the leaf surface. In: Heywood, V. H. and Moore, D. M. (eds), Current Concepts in Plant Taxonomy. Academic Press, London, p. 67-94. Wang, Q.J., X. L. Yan, L. Zhao, X. H. Zhang and Ren, Y. 2018. Comparative studies on petals structure micromorphology and ultrastructure in two species of Stephania (Menispermaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution, 304: 911-921. [CrossRef] Watts, S. and Kariyat, R. 2021. Morphological characterization of trichomes shows enormous variation in shape, density and dimensions across the leaves of 14 Solanum species. AoB Plants, 13(6): 1-32. [CrossRef] WEbb M. E. and Almeida, M. T. 1990. Micromorphology of the leaf epidermis in taxa of the Agropyron Elymus complex (Poaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 103(2): 153-158. [CrossRef] Werker, E. 2000. Trichome diversity and development. Advances in Botanical Research, 31: 1-35. [CrossRef] https://doi.org/10.2307/2394389 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12228-020-09609-w https://doi.org/10.2307/2666216 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-018-1522-3 https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plab071 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1990.tb00181.x https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2296(00)31005-9 313 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Teleb et al. Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2024) 18 (2): 297-313. الصفات املورفولوجية الدقيقة لبشرة البتلة وعالقتها التصنيفية في بعض انواع الفصيلة البنيونية في مصر حسين، ريهام شاهين ومروة محمد الدمرداش أ.سمير س. طلب، حسين الدقيقة، كلية العلوم، جامعة الزقازيق، مصر قسم النبات واألحياء 20/12/2024، النشر: 5/6/2024القبول: 31/5/2024املراجعة:، 1/1/2024االستالم: الخالصة يتناول البحث دراسة الخصائص امليكروموفولوجية للبتالت. ُجمَعت ثمان أجناس ر من حديقة االورمان تمثل ثانية عشرنوع من نباتات الفصيلة البجنونية من مص النباتبة باستخدام امليكروسكوب االكتروني املاسح. كان الهدف من الدراسة فحص سطح أنواع البتالت تحت الدراسة و تقييم أهميتها في ايضاح العالقات التصنيفية قد شملت الدراسة ما يلي: انواع خاليا البشرة )الهالية، الحليمية املخروطية و الهالية ة مع الحليمية املخروطية( ، أنواع الشعيرات )غير الغدية: قمعية الشكل، املرنة، املختلط املتيبسة والغدية :النخامية، الراسية،اكأسية الشكل، الرقطية وشكل الرضفة( ، زخرفة الشعيرات )مخططة، متعرجة وناعمة( وثغور علي كل من السطح العلوي والسفلي & .Jacaranda acutifolia Humbاالنواع ما عدا للبتلة و قد ظهرت الثغور في جميع Bonpl .,1806 وMarkhamia zanzibarica (Bojer ex DC.) K. Schum., 1895. الجراء تحليل احصائي علي البيانات باستخدام طريقة pastاستخدم برنامج UPGMA وتم انتاج مخطط لتوضيح العالقة بين العينات. اوضحت النتائج ان النوعين ,.Tabebuia Gomes ex DCو Markhamia Seem. ex Baill.,1888محل الدراسة ليست احادية العرق. Tecoma (Juss., 1789أحاديا العرق بينما 1838