Leaf Anatomy of Some Grasses of Northwest Kansas

Leaf samples of grasses of Northwest Kansas were taken from the widest portion of the blade of the middle part of the culm. FAA solution was used for killing and fixing. Cross sections of twelve microns in thickness were cut on the rotary microtome. Twenty-nine species were described and classified. All twenty-nine species of grasses fall into the Festucoid, Panicoid, and Chloridoid groups of Brown\u27s classification. A comparison was made of the tribes of Hitchcock and the groups as described by Brown. The vegetative key was constructed based on leaf anatomy, and grouped according to the groups of Brown. The distinguishing characters used were: bundle sheath, vein shape, phloem, sclerenchyma, chlorenchyma, epidermal cells bulliform and colorless cells, and cuticle. The purpose of the study was to determine the taxonomic implication of grass leaf anatomy for some grasses of Northwest Kansas