The Biobrio 11(1 & 2), 2024

Leaf Anatomy of Herbal C3 , C4 , CAM, and Intermediate Plants from Arid and Semi-Arid Climate of Thar Desert 

M. Barupal & V. Kataria

ABSTRACT:

Thar Desert is a home of a diverse array of flora utilizing various photosynthetic pathways—C3 , C4 , and intermediate species. How do local fluctuations in seasonal events such as temperature and rainfall affect the functional leaf anatomy will be a future question of study. Under ambient climate we present here leaf anatomical evidence for such plants as a repository for arid plant adaptations. We observed leaf anatomy of herbaceous plants like C4 -Dicot Mollugo cerviana, Gisekia pharnaceoides, Tribulus sp., Euphorbia sp., Heliotropium sp., and C4 -Monocot such as Cenchrus sp., Brachiaria sp., Lasiurus scindicus, Panicum sp., Chloris sp., etc. for their exceptional strategies for coping with water scarcity during and after the brief rainy seasons. Their distinctive Kranz anatomy, well-developed bundle sheath cells, and unique chloroplast arrangements contribute to efficient CO2 fixation, enabling them to thrive in arid climates. In contrast, C3 plants such as Corbichonia decumbens, H. curassavicum, Dipterygium glaucum display distinctive leaf anatomies characterized by notable C3 arrangements of palisade and spongy cells filled with chloroplasts. M. nudicaulis, Parthenium hysterophorus, Farsetia hamiltonii show intermediate C3 -C4 and Portulaca grandiflora show C4 and CAM leaf anatomies. This is the first anatomical record of Farsetia hamiltonii as C3 -C4 intermediate based on leaf anatomy. The pictorial cataloguing of these plants’ anatomical traits will shed light on evolutionary adaptations and aid in understanding how these plants respond to changing climatic conditions in the Thar Desert. 

 

Keywords:    

Kranz Anatomy; C3 -C4 Intermediate; Leaf anatomy; Bundle Sheath; Desert Plants

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