Abstract
Bauhinia L. and Schnella (Raddi.) Wund. are popularly known in Brazil as “mororó”. The leaves and stem bark are used in folk medicine for various purposes, especially against diabetes. Morphoanatomical studies of the leaves of Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Steud., B. pentandra (Bong.) Steud., B. ungulata L. and Schnella outimouta (Aublet) Wund., tribe Cercidae, subtribe Bauhiniinae (Benth.) Walp., were carried out as subsidies to the quality control of their etnodrugs and their derivatives, as well as an additional support to their taxonomy. The morphological and anatomical studies employed traditional techniques of stereo- and light microscopy. All species showed bifoliate leaves, a dorsiventral mesophyll, epidermis with a papillose abaxial surface, anomocytic stomata at the level of the epidermis, and tector trichomes. Schnella outimouta showed leaf characters distinctive from the three species of Bauhinia: indument puberulous on the abaxial surface, leaves hypostomatic, midrib with two collateral bundles, and a cylindrical petiole. The species of Bauhinia have a sericeous-pubescent indument, amphistomatic leaves with boat-shaped glands, midrib with a single bundle, and a canaliculate petiole with lateral projections. Our results provide leaf morphological and anatomical parameters, useful to distinguish the four species studied, which support the quality control of its ethnodrugs.
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LBSP (Master student) contributed in collecting plant samples, identification, and running the laboratory work (preparing herbaria samples and plant anatomy studies), analysis of the data and preparation of the paper. RCS contributed with support to the anatomical studies. LPF contributed in collecting and identification of plant samples. MFA designed the study with Bauhinia, and supervised all laboratory and field work, as well as contributed to critical reading of the manuscript. All the authors have read the final manuscript and approved the submission.
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Pereira, L.B.S., Costa-Silva, R., Felix, L.P. et al. Leaf morphoanatomy of “mororó” (Bauhinia and Schnella, Fabaceae). Rev. Bras. Farmacogn. 28, 383–392 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjp.2018.04.012
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjp.2018.04.012