Macro- and micromorphology of the leaf, stem, stem bark and flower of Vangueria edulis cultivated in Egypt

Vangueria edulis belongs to Rubiaceae which includes about 620 genera with almost 13000 species which is widely distributed but mainly tropical. Biological studies showed that some species of the genus Vangueria showed antimicrobial activity, reported to have anthelmintic action and anti plasmodial activity and fed to cattle suffering from East Coast Fever. No detailed information could be traced concerning the macro- and micromorphology of the plant. This provoked the authors to carry out this study to identify the drug in both entire and powdered forms

Leaf blade anatomy and ultrastructure of six Simira species (Rubiaceae) from the Atlantic rain forest, Brazil

Simira is a predominantly woody Neotropical genus comprising 41 taxa, 16 of which occur in Brazil and eight of them in the southeastern region of Brazil. Leaf blades of Simira eliezeriana Peixoto, S. glaziovii (K. Schum.) Steyem., S. grazielae Peixoto, S. pikia (K. Schum.) Steyerm., S. rubra (Mart.) Steyerm., S. sampaioana (Standl.) Steyerm. were collected in the southeastern region of Brazil and fixed according to usual methods for light and electron microscopy. The leaf blades show typical characteristics of the Rubiaceae family as dorsiventral mesophyll and paracytic stomata. The presence of two bundle sheaths that extend to the upper epidermal layer, prismatic crystal and crystal-sand, alkaloids in the mesophyll and the organization micromorphological of the outer periclinal wall are considered characteristics representative for the genus. This study also demonstrates some leaf blade characteristics that can be used to Simira species identification (leaf surface, domatia types, epicuticular wax types and patterns of epidermis anticlinal cell walls).