Not available.Keywords: Bauhinia, Testa surface pattern, Scanning electron microscopic studies DOI: 10.3329/bjpt.v15i2.1754 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 15(2): 159-161, 2008 (December)

Seedling characteristics of Bauhinia racemosa Lamk. are described. The seedling was of Phanerocotylar – Epigeal Reserve type. The total leaf area per seedling increased exponentially with age with relatively larger rate of leaf-area-increment by the 40th day of seedling age. The major allocation of biomass in 60-day old seedlings was in leaves - 49.65% of the seedling total dry mass (190.77 ± 34.47 mg). Tap root had profuse laterals. Cotyledons were obovate large, green fleshy and food laden. They were wholly consumed within around 50 days after emergence. From base to apex, first internode was the largest one and internodal size of subsequent internodes reduced to nearly half of the first internode. The hypocotyl was pale green, terete. Epicotyl hairy. The primary leaves were simple alternate, bilobed, pubescent ventrally. Each leaf had small, green and linear-lanceolate stipule. Leaf apex obcordate and leaf base cordate – embayed in sinus. Midrib extension (≤ 1mm) in the apical notch. Leaves and cotyledons showed photonastic movement. Epicotyl was longer than hypocotyl but hypocotyl was thicker (generally twice) than epicotyl. The total leaf area of 60-day old seedlings was (2256.57 ± 193.74 mm2). Cotyledons were 5-6(7)-nerved and leaves were 9-nerved. The cotyledonary and foliar venation was brachidodromous type. The cotyledons and leaves were amphistomatic. The number of subsidiary cells associated with different types of stomata varied from two to eight. Paracytic, anisocytic, anisotricytic, anomocytic and staurocytic types of stomata were found on leaves and cotyledons (sensu Prabhakar, 2004). Abnormal stomatal types included a staurocytic type with two abutting pores and other included a group of contiguous anisotricytic type of stomata with variously shaped subsidiaries and the one anisotricytic stomata with two abutting pores. The epicotylar stomata were of paracytic type. Stomata were comparatively smaller on leaf (c 13 μm) than on the cotyledons (c 18 μm). Seedling characteristics are compared with available data for other Bauhinia species.

The plant Bauhinia purpurea Linn. is popular in India, bark was reported as antimycobacterial, antimalarial, antifungal, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activities. The leaves were reported to possess antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties, while the stem was found to have anti-diabetic and adrenergic properties, Bauhinia statins, isolated from leaves and bark was reported to inhibit human cancer cell. Standardization is essential measure for quality, purity and sample identification. Macro morphology along with the microscopy is one of the simplest and cheapest methods to start with for establishing the correct identity of the source materials. In the present study the leaf architecture, types of stomata and anatomy of the leaf of Bauhinia pururea was undertaken. Actinodromous perfect basal type of venation and paracytic type of stoamta along with uniseriate trichomes were found.

Bauhinia pottsii G. Don, B. subsessilis Craib, B. velutina (Wall. ex Benth.) Baker, B. mollissima (Wall.) Prain, and B. decipiens Craib were recently recognized as five varieties of Bauhinia pottsii G. Don. They grow naturally in southern Myanmar, Thailand, Indochina and the Malay Peninsula. Bauhinia pottsii var. decipiens (Craib) K. Larsen & S. S. Larsen is endemic to Thailand and known only from the type collection, so it was omitted from this study. Quantitative and qualitative morphological characters were examined in 200 specimens using multivariate and univariate analyses to determine the taxonomic relationship among the four. Some variation in qualitative characters was found between the varieties which separated them as previously defined in Flora of Thailand. Forty-three quantitative characters were subjected to cluster analysis to allow an objective classification into groups. The groups were subsequently evaluated by a canonical discriminant analysis. It was found that these characters collectively support the four varieties as defined by qualitative characters. However, the close relationship of varieties mollissima (Wall. ex Prain) K. Larsen & S. S. Larsen and velutina (Wall. ex Benth.) K. Larsen & S. S. Larsen is observed. The linear discriminant function has an overall rate of 98.5% correct classification and is useful for variety classification. Among quantitative characters, petal-claw length and ovarystalk length together with some qualitative characters are useful for key construction to separate the four varieties.

Karyomorphological studies in Bauhinia acuminata Linn. & Bauhinia variegata Linn. using leaf tip squash technique and Induction Polyploidy in Bauhinia acuminata Linn. was carried out belonging to the family Caesalpinaceae. It was observed that in the karyomorphological studies both the species have same number of chromosomes i.e., 2n=28 with chromosome length showing symmetric karyotype ,with largely submetacentric and metacentric chromosomes. On induction of polyploidy in Bauhinia acuminata Linn. the result showed that maximum induction of polyploidy was obtained in case of seeds treated with 0.10% concentration of colchicine for consecutive 3 days. Karyotype analysis of the induced polyploidy revealed the chromosome number to be 4n=56, tetraploid.The doubling of chromosome produced significant increase in plant height, leaf size and stomata size of the plant under investigation.

Karyomorphological studies in Bauhinia acuminata Linn. and Bauhinia variegata Linn. belonging to family Caesalpinaceae using leaf tip squash technique and induction of polyploidy in Bauhinia acuminata Linn. was carried out. It was observed that in the Karyomorphological studies both the species have the same number of chromosomes i.e., 2n=28 with chromosome length showing symmetric karyotype, with largely submetacentric and metacentric chromosomes. On induction of polyploidy in Bauhinia acuminata Linn. the result showed that the maximum induction of polyploidy was obtained in the case of seeds treated with 0.10% concentration of colchicine for consecutive 3 days. Karyotype analysis of the induced polyploidy revealed that the chromosome number was obtained 4n=56, tetraploid. The significance of polyploidy showed increase in plant height, leaf size and stomata size of the plant under investigation.

This paper deals with an Indian endemic species Bauhinia phoenicea B. Heyne ex Wight & Arn., with respect to the number of fertile stamens in its flowers, uses, seed germination in ex situ condition and re-assessment of threat status.