Abstract
A comparative study of the physico-chemical properties of soil, leafmetal content and foliar surface traits in Lagerstroemia parviflora(L.) Roxb. plants, growing in an iron-rich mineralized and anon-mineralized area was carried out. Metal accumulation wasmaximum in summer; in the peak growing season, it declined duringthe rainy season but picked up again in winter. In leaves sampled froma mineralized region, epidermal cells were much smaller in size buthigher in number per unit area. Changes in the number and size of glandular papillae were also observed. Characteristic non-glandular,elongate trichomes with acute tip were also recorded in mineralizedpopulations. Scanning electron microscopic examination of the foliarsurface configuration revealed distortions in epicuticular wax structuresand wider cuticular striations with typically parallel arrangement inthese populations.The present study shows that high Fe-accumulation in leaves of L.parviflora during the exponential growth phase as well as changes inthe epicuticular structures may be indicators of metal stress in the populations of the mineralized area.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bowen, H. J. M.: 1979, Environmental Chemistry of Elements, Academic Press, London.
Breckle, S. W.: 1991, ‘Growth Under Stress-Heavy Metals’, in Y. Waisel and A. Eshel (eds.), Plant Roots — The Hidden Half, Marcel Dekker Inc. USA, pp. 351–;373.
Clijsters, H., Van Assche, F. and Gora, I.: 1991, ‘Physiological Responses of Higher Plants to Soil Contamination with Metals’, in J. Rozema and J. A. C. Verkleij (eds.), Ecological Responses to Environmental Stresses, Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp. 32–;39.
Cox, R. M. and Hutchinson, T. C.: 1979, ‘Metal co-tolerance in green Deschamosie cesoitosa’, Nature 279, 231–;233.
Curtin, G. C., King, H. D. and Mosier, E. L.: 1974, ‘Movement of elements into the atmosphere from coniferous trees in subaloine forests of Colorado and Idaho’, J. Geochem. Exploration 3, 245–;263.
Ernst, W. H. O.: 1985, ‘Bedeutung einer veranderten minerals of fubarkeit (Schwermetalle, Al, Ti) fur Wachstums and Selektions-prozesse in Waldre Bielefelder Okel’, Beitr. 1, 143–;158.
Farooqui, A.: 1993, ‘Plants growing in mineral-bearing areas of Lalitpur’, CSIR News 43(19), 281–;283.
Farooqui, A., Kulshreshtha, K., Srivastava, K., Singh, S. N., Farooqui, S. A., Pandey, V. and Ahmad, K. J.: 1995, ‘Photosynthesis, stomatal response and metal accumulation in Cineraria maritima L. and Centauria moschata L. grown in metal rich soil’, Scien. of the Total Environ. 164, 203–;207.
Foy, C. D. Chaney, R. L. and White, M. C.: 1978, ‘The physiology of metal toxicity in plants’, Ann. Rev. Plant Physiology 29, 511–;566.
Horler, D. N. H. and Barber, J.: 1979, ‘Relations between vegetation and heavy metals in the atmosphere’, Proceedings International Conference Management and Control of Heavy Metals in the Environment. London, Sept. 1979. CEP consultants Ltd., Edinburgh, pp. 275–;278.
Hughes, A. P.: 1959, ‘Effects of the environment on leaf development in Impatiens parviflora’, DC. J. Linnaean Soc. London Botany 3, 163–;167.
Kennedy, C. D. and Gonsalves, F. A. N.: 1987, ‘The action of divalent zinc, cadmium, mercury, copper and lead on the trans-root potential and H efflux of exised roots’, J. Exp. Bot. 28, 800–;817.
Kulshreshtha, K., Farooqui, A., Srivastava, K., Singh, S. N., Ahmad, K. J. and Behl, H. M.: 1994, ‘Effect of diesel exhaust pollution on cuticular and epidermal features of Lantana camara L. and Syzygium cuminii L. (Skeels)’, J. Environmental Science and Health Part A-Environmental Science and Engineering A29(2), 301–;308.
Lepp, N. W.: 1981, Effect of Heavy Metal Pollution on Plants, Vol. I. Applied Science Publs, London.
Metcalfe, C. R. and Chalk, L.: 1950, ‘Anatomy of the Dicotyledons’, Vol. I and II. Clarendon Press, London.
Moorby, L. and Squire, H. M.: 1963, ‘The loss of radioactive isotopes from the leaves of plants in dry conditions’, Radiat. Bot. 3, 163–;167.
Norrish, K.: 1975, ‘The Geochemistry and Minerology of Trace Elements’, in Nicholas, J. D. and Egan, A. R. (eds.), Trace Elements in Soil plant-Animal Systems, Academic Press, New York, pp. 55–;82.
Parry, J.: 1994, ‘Crops clean up metal pollution’, Spectrum 238, 5–;6.
Piper, C. S.: 1966, Soil and Plant Analysis, Wiley Interscience, New York.
Schumacher, M., Domingo, J. L., Liobet, J. M. and Corbella, J.: 1993, ‘Chromium, copper and zinc concentrations in edible vegetables grown in Terragona Province, Spain’, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 50(4), 514–;522.
Tukey, H. Jr.: 1971, ‘Leaching of Substances from Plants’, in Preece, T. F. and Dickinson, C. H. (eds.), Ecology of Leaf Surface Microorganisms, Academic Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Farooqui, A., Farooqui, S.A., Kulshreshtha, K. et al. Foliar Metal Content and Changes in Epidermal Traits of LAGERSTROEMIA PARVIFLORA (L.) Roxb.. Environ Monit Assess 48, 107–115 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005754212598
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005754212598