RESEARCH ARTICLE
Foliar Micromorphological Evaluation of L. – An Important Medicinal Climber

Due to non-availability or short supply of original medicinal plants the crude drugs from the plants are adulterated by similarly resembling plants. Micromorphological studies of leaves could help in the identification and authentication of the original medicinal plant from the crude drug materials.

To investigate the qualitative and quantitative micromorphological parameters of the leaves of Cardiospermum halicacabum.

The foliar micromorphological parameters such as orientation, stomatal types and morphology; density, distribution of trichomes and stomata; stomatal index and trichome types, paradermal sections were obtained manually by the standard method. The leaves were excised and fixed primarily in formalin, acetic acid and ethyl alcohol solution; cleared in 70% ethanol, bleached with 5% NaOH and rinsed in distilled water. The cleared leaves were used for the study of venation pattern, vein-islets, veinlet terminations and arrangement of crystals.

The microscopic examinations revealed the presence of anomocytic and anisocytic types of stomata with the abaxial epidermis of leaves. The stomatal density was 72 and stomatal index reported as 33.1. Glandular trichomes were few with uniseriate stalk, capitate multiseriate and multicellular head. Non-glandular trichomes frequent which were unicellular, uniseriate and bristle in nature. The density of vein islets and veinlet termination was observed as 18 and 13 respectively.

The foliar micromorphological (stomata, vein clearing etc.) findings could be used in the proper identification and authentication of C. halicacabum from the crude plant materials which is essential in quality control measures.