Comparative analyses of ex situ Limonium species: 1. Leaf epidermis

Six species of the genus Limonium (L. asterotrichum, L. bulgaricum, L. gmelinii, L. latifolium, L. meyeri, and L. vulgare) grown ex situ were studied. The collection has been maintained for twelve years on alluvial-meadow soil in the experimental field of the Institute of Ornamental and Medicinal Plants, Sofia. The leaf epidermal structure was examined by means of light microscopy observations and morphometry. In all species the histological analysis revealed anisocytic stomata and the typical anatomical feature in halophyte plants – salt glands on both leaf surfaces. Only in L. asterotrichum, L. bulgaricum, and L. latifolium were some of the glands surrounded by unicellular non-glandular thick-walled trichomes. Despite the common characteristics of all studied species, for each of them there were specific epidermal features with taxonomic value.