Morphological and Anatomical Studies on Trichosanthes cucumerina L. (Cucurbitaceae)

Abstract

Studies on morphological, anatomical and proximate characteristics of Trichosanthes cucumerina L. (Cucurbitaceae) was carried out using morphological observation and microtomy in order to determine the relationship between this species and other cucurbits and complement the existing data on the taxon. T. cucumerina is a climber that grows up to 30m tall. The leaves are persistent partly ovate, trilobate to heptalobate, slightly hairy to densely hairy with glandular trichomes and non-glandular trichomes (2–5 celled, with a prominent flattened disk of two rows of cells). Tendril bifid, ovary consists of 3 syncarpous carpels and fruits 23.0 – 56.4 cm long. The species is hypostomatic with mainly anomocytic and tetracytic stomata and the epidermal cells appeared irregular in shape. Stem, peduncle, and tendril were angled with 5 – 13 bicollateral vascular bundles in open rings. The petiole and the midrib comprised 1 – 3 accessory vascular bundles. The sclerenchymatous cells were continuous or non-continuous. The tendril and stem have hollow pith. The similarity in morphological and anatomical features of this species and other members of cucurbits depicts taxonomic and evolutionary relationship among them, however; the type of trichomes we observed suggests that this species could be T. cucumerina var. anguina and not T. cucumerina. Further studies using electron microscope is therefore needed to affirm this finding.