ANATOMICAL STUDIES ON FOURTEEN SPECIES OF THE GENUS COTONEASTER L. (ROSACEAE) IN IRAN

In this study, anatomical features of blade and midrib region in 14 species of genus Cotoneaster belonging to two sections Cotoneaster and Chaenopetalum are presented. These species include Cotoneaster nummularioides, C. kotschyi, C. turcomanicus, C. multiflorus, C. nummularius, C. hissaricus, C. luristanicus, C. suavis, C. morulus, C. ovatus, C. discolor, C. assadii, C. melanocarpus and C. persicus. Among 30 studied characters, five characters (quantitative features such as presence of fiber, presence of cuticle and external xylem) are constant in different species. Twenty four characters 24 are variable in several species and several individuals of the same species. Only one character (i.e. number of palisade parenchyma layer) was variable and useful in separation of species.