CUTICULAR STUDIES IN SOLANACEAE

Foliar cuticle and epidermis, including trichomes, of 26 species (17 genera) of Solanaceae from India and South America have been studied. Most of the species are amphistomatic and possess either 'cruciferous' stomata or both 'cruciferous' and 'ranunculaceous' types intermingled; only a few species show exclusively the ranunculaceous type of stomata. Several types of epidermal hairs (both glandular and non-glandular) are found and these appear to be of great diagnostic value. This fact is particularly important as many species are of pharmacognostic interest. Some interesting characters such as 'cuticular striations', 'single guard cells', and 'degenerated stomatal cells' have also been recorded in a number of species. Further subdivisions of the family have been evaluated in the light of the present investigations, and regrouping of different genera under various tribes has been suggested.