Leaf epidermal micromorphology of the genus Hypericum (hypericaceae) from Iran

Foliar micromorphological characters of 17 species of Hypericum L. belonging to five sections, Androsaemum (Duhamel) Godron, Hypericum, Hirtella Stef. (including 2 subsections: Platyadenum N. Robson et Stenadenum N. Robson), Taeniocarpum Jaub. et Spach. and Drosanthe (Spach) Endl. were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Based on the current result three types of epidermal cell shape (irregular polygonal, roughly regular rectangular and irregular elliptical); four types of papilla (triangular, with striate wall, finger and star shapes); two main types and three subtypes of epicuticular wax; seven type classes of outer stomatal and peristomatal rims/stomata ledge aperture; three types of wax distribution on the stomata rims/pore/epidermal cell and three types of inner stomatal rims variations (smooth, sinuolate and sinuolate-erose) were identified. The result revealed that leaf micromorphological evidences of Hypericum are taxonomically informative and can be used for separating different sections and species