Studies of the leaf and leaf stalk anatomy and taxonomy of the trichomes in some species of Cucurbitaceae L. in Iraq.

When establishing and describing different levels of classification, such as family, genus, species, or taxonomy, anatomical studies are a crucial taxonomic guide. In this study, cross sections were taken of leaf petioles, leaf blades, midribs, and epidermal trichome. According to the results, the shape of epidermal cells, the thickness and quantity of spongy and sclerenchyma tissue layers, the shape of the petiole, the thickness of the chlorenchyma layer, the collenchyma, the thickness and quantity of vascular bundles, and the shape of the outer blastula were all markedly different. We also observed different types of epidermal trichome in the studied plant species. This study has added to the body of knowledge about trichomes types and the anatomy of the petiole and leaf blade in six different plant species from the Cucurbitaceae family. The study aims to investigate the leaf and petiole anatomy and the taxonomic characteristics of trichomes in selected species of the family Cucurbitaceae in Iraq, in order to identify diagnostic features useful for species differentiation, clarify their taxonomic relationships, and enhance the understanding of their systematic classification within the family.