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Pak. J. Bot., 44: 159-164, Special Issue March 2012.

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LEAF ANATOMICAL ADAPTATIONS OF SOME HALOPHYTIC AND XEROPHYTIC SEDGES OF THE PUNJAB

MANSOOR HAMEED^1*, TAHIRA NAWAZ¹, MUHAMMAD ASHRAF¹, ASMA TUFAIL¹, HINA KANWAL¹, M. SAJID AQEEL AHMAD¹ AND IFTIKHAR AHMAD²

Abstract: Some members of family Cyperaceae inhabit a variety of habitat types in the Punjab region including polluted and brackish wetlands, desert and semi-desert habitats, river and canal banks, wastelands, agricultural fields, etc. Five sedge species (Bulboschoenus affinis, Cyperus alternifolia, C. conglumeratus, Fimbristylis dichotoma, and Schoenoplectus litoralis), representatives of distinct habitat types, were studied to investigate the leaf anatomical modifications to withstand environmental stresses. Cyperus alternifolia is the cultivated species of this family, whereas, Cyperus conglumeratus a xeropbhytic species of Cholistan desert. The later was found to have adapted some specific anatomical modifications like extensive sclerification, stomata located only on abaxial leaf surface, and high proportion of parenchyma. Fimbristylis dichotoma recorded from the saline waterlogged areas showed high proportion of aerenchyma in leaves. Bulboschoenus affinis and Schoenoplectus litoralis recorded from the brackish Kalar Kahar Lake, showed highly developed bulliform cells and extensive aerenchyma development. Generally, the anatomical features were the representatives of specific habitat types and degree of stress tolerance in these species.

¹Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan 38040

²Deapartment of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan

*Corresponding author’s e-mail: hameedmansoor@yahoo.com