Contribution to leaf anatomy of some Agrostideae

Abstract

The leaf anatomy of 22 species of Muehlenbergia, 2 species of Lyeurus and 2 species of Epicampes, all of them of this hemisphere, has been investigated. The 3 genera are closely related among themselve, and also to the genus Sporobolus, presenting the same characteristics as to morphology, anatomy and cytology: they are perfectly distinguished from most of the genera of the Agrostideae and should be incorporated into the tribe Eragrosteae. It can be observed that leaf anatomy is related to the habitat, and the author gives a division in 3 anatomical and oecological groups of the argentine species of Muehlenbergia, which can be recognized by a key, based on the anatomical features of the leaves.