Taxonomic significance of morphology and palynology of two species of Dracaena found in south eastern Nigeria

Authors

  • Chinyere Ilodibia

    Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
  • Clement Okeke

    Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
  • Maureen Chukwuma

    Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe
  • Nneka Okeke

    Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka
  • Ebele Akachukwu

    Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe
  • Bibian Aziagba

    Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka

How to Cite

Ilodibia, C., Okeke, C., Chukwuma, M., Okeke, N., Akachukwu, E., & Aziagba, B. (2014). Taxonomic significance of morphology and palynology of two species of Dracaena found in south eastern Nigeria. International Journal of Biological Research, 3(1), 5-8. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijbr.v3i1.3737

Received date: October 17, 2014

Accepted date: November 9, 2014

Published date: December 18, 2014

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14419/ijbr.v3i1.3737

Keywords:

Dracaena Arborea, Dracaena Mannii, Dracaena Species, Morphology and Palynology.

Abstract

Morphology and Palynology were carried out on Dracaena mannii Bak and Dracaena arborea Link various parts. T test was used for the analyses. Morphologically, the leaves of D. arborea are longer and wider than those of D. mannii, and the length of the internode of D. arborea is more than those of the D. mannii. Both species are trees and have the same inflorescence, floral, fruit and seed Morphology. Palynologically, the pollen grains of the two species are monocolpate with scabrate surfaces. The colpus in D. mannii is longer than that of D. arborea. The result also showed that there was no significant difference in the sizes of the pollen grains, the pollen form indices as well as length and diameter of the colpi of both D. arborea and D. mannii. The overall analyses showed no significant statistical difference in the morpology and palynology of the two Dracaena species. The implication is that the two species are closely related and this justified their placement under the same genus Draceana while the slight differences between them suggest the reason for their separation into different species.

References

  1. [1] Dutta AC (2003) Botany for Degree Students, (6 ed), Oxford University Press, India, pp. 301-588.

    [2] Gill LS (1988) Taxonomy of Flowering Plants, African-Feb Publishers Limited, Onitsha, Nigeria, pp 23-35.

    [3] Huxley A (1992) New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 2:96-97.

    [4] Judd WS, Campbell CS, Kellogg, EA, & Stevens PE (1999) Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic approach Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, Massachusetts U.S.A, pp. 208-305.

    [5] Philipson WR (1971) Ovular morphology and major classification of dicotyledons, Botanical Journal of Linnaen Society, 68:89-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1974.tb01750.x.

    [6] Radford AE (1986) Fundamentals of Plant Systematics, Harper and Row, New York, pp. 302-322.

    [7] Sharma OP (1993) Plant Taxonomy, Tatam McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited, /New Delhi, pp. 68-181.

    [8] Venter F and Venter J (1995) Making the most indigenous trees. Farmers Weekly, 24 March: 66-67.

    [9] Waston L & Dallwitz MJ (1992) The families of flowering plants: Interactive identifications and information retrieval 4: 212-234.

    [10] Waterhouse JT (1987) The Phylogenetic of Draceana-type growth. Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W. 109: 129-128.

Downloads

How to Cite

Ilodibia, C., Okeke, C., Chukwuma, M., Okeke, N., Akachukwu, E., & Aziagba, B. (2014). Taxonomic significance of morphology and palynology of two species of Dracaena found in south eastern Nigeria. International Journal of Biological Research, 3(1), 5-8. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijbr.v3i1.3737

Received date: October 17, 2014

Accepted date: November 9, 2014

Published date: December 18, 2014