tailieunhanh - Anatomical analysis of red Juniper leaf (Juniperus oxycedrus) taken from Kopaonik Mountain, Serbia

In this study, the anatomical characteristics of Juniperus oxycedrus (Cupressaceae) leaves from Kopaonik Mountain (Serbia) are analysed. The level of distinction between leaves taken from various altitudes (420-1420 m) was determined by analysing anatomical characters. | Research Article Turk J Bot 36 (2012) 473-479 © TÜBİTAK doi: Anatomical analysis of red Juniper leaf (Juniperus oxycedrus) taken from Kopaonik Mountain, Serbia Predrag Spasoje VASIC1,*, Darko Vlajko DUBAK2 1 Institute of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Pristina, Lole Ribara 29, 38220 Kosovska Mitrovica - KOSOVO 2 Biotechnical Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Montenegro, Kralja Nikole ., 81000 Podgorica - MONTENEGRO Received: ● Accepted: Abstract: In this study, the anatomical characteristics of Juniperus oxycedrus (Cupressaceae) leaves from Kopaonik Mountain (Serbia) are analysed. The level of distinction between leaves taken from various altitudes (420-1420 m) was determined by analysing anatomical characters. The clear correlation between increase in altitude and change in anatomical characters of the leaves was not established by descriptive analysis. The leaves collected from plants growing at 620 m had the most prominent xeromorphic characteristics (thick cuticles and thick epidermis walls). The discriminant canonical analysis also showed a clear distinction between red common juniper from 420 m and the samples taken from different altitudes. Key words: Juniperus oxycedrus, leaf, anatomy, characters Introduction Red common juniper, Juniperus oxycedrus L. (Cupressaceae), inhabits the Mediterranean area, reaching Crimea, the Caucasus, and northern Iran. In Serbia, it is widespread in the central and southwestern areas, as well as in Kosovo. In studying the anatomical characteristics of common juniper, cross sections of the leaves were measured. The epidermis of common juniper was mostly of one layer and consisted of epidermic cells covered with cuticle. Layers of the mesophyll consisted of palisade and spongy parenchyma. Palisade cells, which make palisade tissue, were present in a few layers, mostly on the adaxial epidermis of the leaf. Spongy parenchyma was made of round cells, .