Comparative Anatomy of the Leaves of Rumex in Jiangxi

The leaves of 7 species in Rumex L.of Jiangxi was studied.The results were as follows:(1)The upper leave surfaces all had stomatal apparatus;gland and special epidermis cell normally existed both on upper and lower leave suefeaces;crystalloid cell generally existed in diachyma,and the type was druse;(2)The character of lower epidermis cell and the type of stomatal apparatus,the specialization and arrangement of diachyma,the shape and the number of vascular bundle of midrib etc.distinctly had differences between all species,and could be used to distinguish each other;(3)Rumex acetosella L.obviously differented from others in the type of stomatal apparatus,the arrangement of diachyma cells,the shape and the number of vascular bundle of midrib etc.,so these morphological characters supported the construction of Subgen.Acetosella(Meisn.)Rech;(4)Rumex L.was considered to locate in a low or middle status in Polygonaceae,because of its original types of stomatal apparatus and pollen and other morphological cha-racters.The study of comparative anatomy of leaves might provid some helps to the study of phylogeny and classification of Rumex L.