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Asiatic
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PACIFIC P JOURNALS BIOTECHNOLOGY
RESOURCES
AJOBR Asiatic Journal of Biotechnology Resources; 2012; 03 (10) 1473-1477 International Quarterly
Journal of Bioscience

Case Study

Stomatal variation in Dicot and Monocots - A Case Study

L.P. Dalal*
Department of Botany, Jankidevi Bajaj College of Science, Wardha- 442001, India

*Correspondence: L.P. Dalal, Postgraduate Department of Botany, Jankidevi Bajaj College of Science, Wardha-442001, India

Received on 10 July 2012; Accepted on 26 September 2012

Available online: 30 September 2012

Keywords: Stomata, anamocytic, paracytic, Introduction

stomatal index, dicot, monocots.
Abstract
An experiment was conducted during the
year 2011-2012 to study the stomatal
indexes of a selected plants namely Hibiscus
rosa sinensis (L.), Lantana camera (L.), Rhoea
discolour (L.) and Commelina sp. (L.) It was
reported that only the plant Rhoea discolour
(L.) shown the paracytic type of stomata,
and majority of plants shown the
anamocytic type of stomata’s. It was further
reported that maximum stomatal index in
the upper epidermis of Lantana camera (L.)
i.e. 14.8 and lowest in the Rhoea discolor (L.)
and Commelina sp. (L.) i.e. 0.57 each
respectively. Similarly in the peels of lower
epidermis of Lantana camera (L.) maximum
number of stomatal index were 9.85 and
lowest in the Hibiscus rosa sinensis
(L.)i.e.7.29. Copyright © 2012 Pacific
Publishers.
Plants are of diverse in nature, diverse in their habit and habitat.
They are simpler to complex in nature as well as single to multi-
cellular in nature. They perform various physiological processes
during days and nights. Most important plant organs which perform
the physiological activity is transpiration and gaseous exchange in
stomata.
Stomata is a minute pore or opening formed in the epidermal
layer in green aerial parts of the plant, particularly the leaves. These
are surrounded by two semi-lunar cells, known as the guard cells.
The term stoma is often applied to the stomatal opening plus the
guard cells. The guard cells are living and always contain chloroplast
and their inner walls are thicker than outer cells. The guard cells are
living and always contain chloroplast thinner. They guard the stoma,
i.e. regulates the opening and closing. Sometimes the guard cells are
surrounded by two or more cells which are distinct from the epidermal
cells; such cells are called accessory cells or subsidiary cells. In
dicotyledonous leaves the stomata remain scattered, while in
monocotyledonous leaves, they are occurs in parallel rows. Stomata
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L.P. Dalal 1474

are more abundant in the lower epidermis of the dorsi-ventral leaf, none
are present in the upper. In the isobilateral and centric leaves, stomata are
more or less evenly distributed on all sides. In the floating leaves, stomata
remain confined to the upper epidermis alone, in the submerged leaves no
stomata is present. In desert plants they show xerophytic in adaptations,
and the stomata are sunken in pits.
Fowden et al.(1993) reported the different parts of the plant perform
stipulated function as they allotted. One of the part or organ of the plant
is a leaf that plays a vital role for the plant body. It performs the function
of gaseous exchange which includes photosynthesis and respiration. Plant
also transpire, that results in loss of excess of water absorbed from the soil
for this process stomata’s are responsible. These stomata’s are present in
both dicot and monocot plants and their position in these types are fixed.
The distribution of these stomata’s on the surface of the leaf is variable.
Stomata’s are made up of two kinds of cells. Depending on their
arrangements, these stomata’s are broadly classified into 4-types namely
Anomocytic (Ranunculaceous type), anisocytic or cruciferous type,
Paracytic or Rubiaceous type and diacytic or Caryophyllaceous types.
Metcalfe and Chalk, 1950 distinguished the four types of stomata in
dicotyledons on the basis of the arrangement of the epidermal cells
neighbouring the guard cells. More than one type may sometime occur
together on the same organ (Metcalfe and Chalk,1950; Rao and
Ramayya,1977). In monocotyledons, Stebbins and Khush,(1961) have
distinguished the following 4-types of stomatal complexes and these were
modified by Paliwal, (1969). Stomata are ordered initially and become more
ordered as leaves mature (Sachs, 1988; Kagan and Sachs, 1991; Croxdale
et al.,1992; Boetsch, Chin, and Croxdale, 1995). Depending on when
stomata arrest and their subsequent development, they might not be
recognizable on nature organs. Based on illustrations of monocot and dicot
stomata, 10-50% of the total number of initial stomata arrest. In case of
Ruscus and sansevieria, 30-40% of stomata arrest as reported by Kagan, and
Sachs, 1991; Sachs., Novoplansky, and Kagan,1992. Sebnem Kusvurans,
2012, reported the findings of effects of drought and salt stresses on
growth stomatal conductance, leaf water potential and osmotic potentials
of melon genotypes (Cucumis melo): Sachs, (1979) reported the continuous
short range interaction between the future guard cells and the adjoining
cells, rather than interactions between future stomata or a fixed programme
of development are essential for the formation of the pattern of stomata
in the nature of leaf. Korn, (1993) established models to account for mature
stomatal distribution in Chlorophytum cosmosum, Iris pumila and Allium cepa.,
and also reported that spatial aspect of stomatal pathway. Chartton, (1990)
suggested the cell cycle regulated stomatal patterning based on two pieces
of evidence: a) the position of stomatal initials at a common boundary in
the leaf base and b) the tendency of stomata and of epidermal cells to
occur in linear groups. He reported that a zone existed at the base of the
leaf where cells are targeted for the stomatal pathway and that the fate of
a cell entering this area is dependent on the cell’s position in the division
cycle.

Copyright © 2012 Pacific Publishers Asiatic J. Biotech Res. 2012; 03(10) 1473-1477
1475 L.P. Dalal

Table 1. Showing the Area, Number of stomata, number of epidermal cells, and Stomatal indexes and stomatal types of plants.

Area Number of Number of Stomatal

Name of the Plants under Stomata Epidermal Cells index Stomatal Type
observation (S) (E) (l)
U.E. 92 142 3.15
Hibiscus rosa sinensis (L.) Anamocytic
L.E. 89 139 7.29
U.E. 12 69 14.81
Lantana camera (L.) Anamocytic
L.E. 21 192 9.85
U.E. 01 173 0.57
Rhoea discolor (L.) Paracytic
L.E. 18 169 9.62
U.E. 03 173 0.57
Commelina species (L.) Anamocytic
L.E. 21 169 9.62

U.E.: Upper epidermis; L.E.: Lower epidermis; I : Stomatal Index; S: No. of stomata per unit area; E: No. of
epidermal cells per unit area

Material and methods

Leaves of different plant were collected and washed. The leaves were peeled
off by tearing the leaf suddenly and with force with lower epidermis upward
and these peels were taken in the petri-plates containing distilled water for
study. A thin membranous lower epidermis gets separated near the broken
edges. Peels comes out by pulling these into a strips with forceps or fingers.
These uniformed peels were taken on glass slides and a drop of 1% safranin
stain were added, kept for 1 minute, washed with water and then mounted
in a drop of glycerin to prevent the drying. A cover-slip were placed and
excess of water were blotted with the help of blotting paper. These slides
were observed under the microscopes. The data were tabulated and
analyzed.
S
Stomatal Index = ---------- X 100
E+S
Where,
I- Stomatal Index.
S- No. of stomata per unit area.
E- No. of epidermal cells per unit area.

Results

The lowest stomatal index (0.57) were reported in the upper epidermal
cells of Rhoea discolour (L.) and Commelina species (L.) leaves. Second increase
in stomatal index were in Hibiscus rosa sinensis (3.15) and Lantana camera
(L.)(14.8). The maximum number of stomatal index were reported in the
lower epidermis peels of Lantana camera (9.85) followed by Rhoea discolour
and Commlina sp. (9.62 each respectively) and lowest number of stomatal
index 7.29 were reported in Hibiscus rosa sinensis (L.). Malone et al.(1993);

Asiatic J. Biotech Res. 2012; 03(10) 1473-1477 Copyright © 2012 Pacific Publishers
L.P. Dalal 1476

Beerling, (1993), and Beyschlag et al., (1992) were also reported the same
type of observations.
From the arrangement of guard cells and subsidiary cells or accessory
cells of the stomata of a leaf, it was observed that in the plant Hibiscus rosa
sinensis (L.) Commelina sp. (L.) and Lantana camera (L.) were shown the
Anamocytic arrangements of stomata (Marx, A. and Sachs, T. (1997). Only
one plant in this investigation shown the paracytic type of stomatal
arrangements i.e. Rhoea discolour(L.). Ramonell et al., 1997; Sachs, 1974;
and Weyers, 1997; also reported the same type of the findings.

Conclusion

From the above results, it may be concluded that in the experimental

sampling (Willmer, 1996; Wolf et al., 1986) the majority of stomatal type
were of anamocytic type and less of paracytic type of stomatal
arrangements. It was also then reported that, the maximum stomatal indexes
were reported in the peels of upper epidermal peels of (Beyschlag et al.,
1992) of Lantana camera (L.) (14.8) and Lowest in the Rhoea discolour and
Commelia sp. (0.57 each). The intermittent stomatal indexes were the 7.29
of Hibiscus rosa sinensis. It was further concluded that their was variation in
stomatal indexes, that ranges from plant to plants.

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