FOLIAR ANATOMY OF SOME SALIX SPECIES (SALICACEAE) IN IRAN

Foliar anatomy of nine species of genus Salix belonging to different subgenera including Salix aegyptiaca, S. caprea, S. cinerea, S. elbursensis, S. euxina, S. issatissensis, S. triandra, S. wilhelmsiana, and S. zygostemon (S. cinerea × S. elbursensis) were studied using light microscope. Several features of leaf anatomy, i. e. transverse section outline, lamina thickness, epidermis characteristics, hypodermis existence, mesophyll features, crystal types, vascular bundles characteristics, etc. are discussed here. Several anatomical characters in this study confirm the infrageneric classification of Salix. On the base of presence or absence of hypodermis layer in lamina, the genus Salix can be divided into two types. The outline of the transverse sections and stomata type differ among sect. Cinerella and the other sections. The delimitation of the closely related species of S. aegyptiaca, S. caprea and S. cinerea belong to sect. Cinerella is difficult, but they can be distinguished based on some anatomical characters. This study has provided interesting results about the studied hybrid S. zygostemon.