Leafshape variation of Emphasis Type="Italic"Pa

Authors: Hirokazu Tsukaya Ryoko Imaichi Jun Yokoyama

Publish Date: 2006/04/05

Volume: 119, Issue: 4, Pages: 303-308

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Abstract

Variations in Paederia foetida L leaf shape were examined to evaluate the taxonomic validity of the small narrow leaf form of P foetida f microphylla Honda from Miyajima Island Honshu Japan There is considerable variation in P foetida individuals in terms of leaf size and leaf index leaf lengthleaf width ratio On Miyajima Island some individuals have narrow leaves with a high leaf index value a phenotype represented by the type specimen of P foetida f microphylla and some do not Given that the leaf size of individuals from Miyajima Island is smaller than that of individuals from other localities in Japan and that the small leaf phenotype is stable even under cultivation P foetida f microphylla is classified as the form having the smallest leaf size Anatomical examination of leaf blades revealed that the large variation in leaf size was attributable to variation in the number of leaf cells but not to differences in cell size or cell shape Based on these results we discuss the endemism of P foetida f microphyllaWe thank the curators of the herbaria of the University of Tokyo Tohoku University and Iwate University for permitting us to examine P foetida specimens We also thank Dr Gentaro Toyohara and Mr Seiji Mukai of Hiroshima University and Mr Yukio Yoshino of Towa Kagaku Corporation for help in field work on Miyajima Island Professor Jin Mutara of the University of Tokyo provided the references on P foetida varieties Ms Yurika Nukatsuka of Tohoku University helped measurements of the herbarium specimens This study was supported by a grant from the SOKENDAI group research project from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies and a GrantinAid from the Ministry of Education Science and Culture Japan

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