ANATOMICAL STUDIES ON THE MUCUNA SPECIES NATIVE TO TAIWAN

Mucunae Caulis was used as “Xueteng” in herbal medicine in Taiwan. This study identified and compared the internal structures of the plant stems of the genus Mucuna ADANSON in the Leguminosae family native to Taiwan. The dried stems were microsectioned in transverse and longitudinal direction for the microscopic studies. Micromorphological studies showed mucunae species that had reddish rings with stone cells and lignified fibers at the cortex layers outer. In the inner cortex layer, M. macrocarpa and M. pruriens var. utilis had no scattering lignified cells. M. gigantea had lignified cells sporadically congregated and the lignified cells of M. membranacea were spread vertically and continuously. Using this method, the original sources of Mucuna Caulis native in Taiwan could be compared and identified precisely.