Anatomy of Pontederia (Pontederiaceae) leaves with taxonomic focus

• Grant number: 19/09181-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Morphology
• Principal Investigator: Vera Lucia Scatena
• Grantee: Isabela Basso Frollini
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Pontederiaceae comprise five genera and about 35 aquatic species, with diversity center in the Neotropical region. Pontederia comprises six species, all of them occurring in Brazil. Since the delimitation of the species is difficult, this project aims to analyze the leaf anatomy of the six species of Pontederia to identify characters useful for taxonomy. Will also be analyzed two species of Eichhornia and two species of Heteranthera for comparison. Therefore, cross sections will be performed in the median region of the leaf blade, including the margin and the midvein. The sections will be made by hand, with razor blades, or using a microtome for the material embedded in historesin. The sections will be stained, mounted on slides with glycerin jelly and analyzed under light microscopy. The leaves will be also analyzed under scanning electron microscopy. The results will be documented with photomicrographs obtained with an digital imaging software coupled to the microscope.