Identification of Markers through Micromorphological Approach of Four Species of Fabaceae in Bankura, West Bengal

Abstract

Recently agro-forestry is gaining much importance as it has a vast scope to mitigate several problems. Many parts of the World especially in the tropics, vast areas of forest lands are now denuded of trees destroying the fragile environment and leaving extensive area unproductive. So, these areas can be reutilized by growing fuel wood plants as an alternative to fossil fuel. So, for large scale plantation screening for desired species must include identification of markers. The present paper deals with some micromorphological features like leaf epidermal micro-morphology of-fuel wood yielding leguminous plants like Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf., Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC.) K. Heyne, Acacia nilotica Willd. and Tamarindus indica L. has been investigated. The epidermal cells in each case were irregular in shape and larger in slow growing species i.e. A. nilotica and T. indica. The stomata were hypostomatic, anomocyticand/or paracytic types with frequency, size and stomatal index were higher in fast growing species i.e. Peltophorum pterocarpum and Delonix regia. These leaf epidermal characters can also be utilized as markers for fast growing fuel wood plants apart from taxonomical consideration.