12757 10.30848/PJB2026-1(18) <p> Comparative anatomical study on laticifers in six Apocynaceae species</p> Jianhua Zhang, Yue Liu, Taibo Xue, Chunli Hu and Meng Zhao <p> This study examined six species from three subfamilies of Apocynaceae &ndash; <em>Cynanchum thesiodes</em>, <em>Periploca sepium</em>, <em>Cynanchum chinense</em>, <em>Asclepias curassavica</em>, <em>Metaplexis japonica</em>, and <em>Catharanthus roseus </em>to characterize the structure and distribution of laticifers, providing an anatomical basis for further research on laticifer biology and Apocynaceae taxonomy. Using comparative anatomical methods, we investigated the type, size, and distribution of laticifers in stems and leaves. In stems, all species possessed non-articulated, unbranched laticifers located in both the cortex and pith. In leaves, <em>C. thesiodes</em>, <em>P. sepium</em>, and <em>C. chinense</em> contained articulated, branched laticifers; <em>A. curassavica</em> and <em>M. japonica</em> had non-articulated, branched laticifers with Y-shaped branches; and <em>C. roseus</em> exhibited articulated, unbranched laticifers. Across all species, leaf laticifers were mainly distributed within the spongy mesophyll and outside the palisade cells, with occasional occurrence external to the phloem</p> Published 2026 58 1 225 232