Morphological and Anatomical Features of Bridelia ferruginea

This research aims to examine and make available the morphological and anatomical features inherent in Bridelia ferruginea, which will serve as taxonomic tools for its delineation. The stem, leaves, flowers and fruits were investigated in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Leaves were plucked from freshly collected twigs and anatomical slides were prepared using standard procedures (i.e. clearing method) and observed by light microscopy. Bridelia ferruginea has twisted, rough and fissured bole; the branches are low and armed with short spines. The leaves are simple, alternate, petiolate with reticulate, pinnate and brochidodromous venation. The inflorescence is a fasciculate cluster, monoecious and axillary. The calyx and corolla are pentamerous. Staminate flowers are sub-sessile and puberulent with polyandrous stamens, while pistillate flowers are sessile with 2-locular ovary. The fruit is a drupe with fleshy pericarp, greenish when unripe and purplish-black when ripe. Leaf anatomy revealed an “O”-shaped vascular bundle and the presence of rosette crystals. The leaf epidermal cells showed that the distribution of the stomata, which are numerous and anomocytic, is hypostomatic. A transverse section of the wood revealed indistinct growth rings, diffuse porosity with solitary and radial pore multiples. Vessel pores were pitted. In the tangential longitudinal section, axial parenchyma is apotracheal and diffuse, while the ray parenchyma was non-storied; heterocellular and predominantly biseriate. Upright/square ray cells were predominant in the radial longitudinal section with most of the cells containing crystals. Fibres were non-septate, libriform and thin to thick-walled. The pollen shape is oblate spheroidal and tricoporate with reticulate exine sculpture. In conclusion, this study presents exo-and endo-morphology which would serve as a baseline in the delineation of Bridelia ferruginea Benth.