Investigation of leaf anatomical structure variation among different populations of Marrubium anisodon in Iran

In the current study, leaf anatomical structure and tissue cellular variation was evaluated in three populations of M. anisodon in Iran. Two individuals were selected from each population. Leaves from middle part of the stems were fixed in F.A.A fixative and thin hand–cut sections were prepared of them.  Then leaf samples were double stained and studied using a light microscope. Data were analysed using SPSS and MVSP softwares. In all studied populations, leaves trans sections were dorsi–ventral. But, qualitative and quantitative traits of leaf differed among the populations. The ANOVA test did not show significant variations among most of the quantitative traits. Populations clustered separately in the UPGMA tree and also PCA and PCO plots. The population’s arrangement pattern did not fit with geographical distances between populations. Similarity in the ecological conditions of habitats lead to anatomical structural likeness, and this case dose not related with geographical distance. Therefore, wherever the ecological conditions are similar, the likeness of leaf anatomical structure is very possible.