Comparative micromorphological studies on leaf epidermis in three species of Mimosa Linnaeus (Mimosaceae) from Assam, India

Micromorphological investigations were carried out on three weedy widely occurring species of Mimosa Linnaeus (Mimosaceae) in Assam (India), namely M. pudica Linnaeus, M. diplotricha C. Wight ex Sauvalle var.diplotricha and M. himalayana Gamble. The present investigation revealed the nature of the upper and lower epidermal cell walls as polygonal or irregular with undulate and slightly sinuous anticlinal in M. pudica and M. diplotrichavar. diplotricha, which is however mostly tetra or pentangular in shape with straight in M. himalayana. Stomata were mostly paracytic in all three species except few anisocytic stomas on both the surfaces of M. himalayanaleaves. An artificial key has been prepared to identify these three species of Mimosa in Assam using investigated micromorphological characters.