Leaf morphology and anatomy of genus Androcymbium (Colchicaceae) in ~outhwest A h c a

Morphologicai and matomical leaf studies wem made in 32 populations belonging to 17 laxa of the genus AndmcyntBirrm in Southwest Africa. The mo~hdogical chatacters studied were conn md tunic chwacteristics, and number, distribution. shape, size. section. and color of leaves and braets. The micromorphological chmcters were the leaf indumcnt on both surface and margin, shape and size of epidemiic cells, type md arnount of stomata. Finally, the anatomical characters were mmphyll cell types, epidermic cel1 dxi, cellular wall types. size of central epidermic ctlls related to the other epidermic ceUs. and amount of idioblasis. Thc rtsuIts showed a great heterogencity in almst al1 characm rrnalyzed. Howevtr, macromorphological characteristics ltlated to color and shape of leaves and braets in the genus Andmcy~nbiun ~ could be used as indicators of taxonomic afinities among species. Converse1 y, thc micromorphological and ana-t o d a 1 chatilcteristics studied showed a great variation of types ihat does no1 agree with the inter-specific mlationships cstablisbed from morpkologicai. allozymatic or cpDNA RFLP data in other research carried out within the genus