NATURAL SCIENCES

Journal of fundamental
and
applied researches

The anatomy of leaves of officinal plants Asteraceae L of flora of Kalmykia

2013. №4, pp. 31-41

Okaeva Kermen P. - post-graduate student, Kalmyk State University, 11 Pushkin St., Elista, 358000, Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation, ebcuebcu@mail.ru

Dordzhieva Victoria I. - Ph.D. (Biology), Associate Professor, Kalmyk State University, 11 Pushkin St., Elista, 358000, Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation, ebcuebcu@mail.ru

Ochirova Keema S. - Ph.D. (Biology), lecturer, Kalmyk State University, 11 Pushkin St., Elista, 358000, Republic of Kalmykia, Russian Federation, ebcuebcu@mail.ru

The structure of photosynthesizing organs is quite a reliable diagnostic sign for estimation of interrelations between plants and environment. Anatomic peculiarities of structure have been determined and signs of leaves of Taraxacum officinale L., Tragopogon dubius Scop., Artemisia austriaca Jacg., and Achillea millefolium L. have been noted. As an object of our research widespread and well-adaptive species (Tragopogon dubius, Achillea millefolium, Taraxacum officinale, Artemisia austriaca) have been chosen. Taking into account the significance of the above mentioned species in different fields of human activity (medicinal, food, fodder, essential oils, in perfumery) in the present work we decided to determine adaptive structural peculiarities of their photosynthesizing organs. The process of adaptation of the species under consideration to semi-desert conditions of our republic takes place in different ways. Vegetating from early spring to mid-summer Taraxacum officinale and Tragopogon dubius make up a rosette of quite large leaves with well-developed foliage lamina. Taraxacum officinale has leaves ranging from pinnately-lobed to pinnately-divided with large central lobe, while Tragopogon dubius has leaves with integral prolonged foliage lamina. The former has mesophyll of a leaf of dorsoventral structure, the latter – of isopaling structure. Morphologically anatomic structure of photosynthesizing organs is adapted to the conditions of sufficient moistening. Achillea millefolium and Artemisia austriaca start vegetating later than the other two species, but continue vegetating the whole summer, autumn and partly winter. They have twice, three times odd-pinnate leaves with narrow ultimate segments. Their mesophyll is of isolateral type, and conducting fascicles are surrounded by water-storing parenchyma. Thus such structure of photosynthesizing organs is well-adapted to water deficit, increased insolation and to temperature drops; and water accumulation in central veins of mesophyll improves water regime.

Key words: epidermis,mesophyll,stoma,protosynthetic organ,anatomicai structure of leaf,palisade tno,spongy tno