MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF LEAF CHARACTERS OF SOME SPECIES IN SELECTED PLANT FAMILIES IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION

Abstract

Anatomical characters of leaf, stem, fruit, and wood have been employed in the identification and classification of plants. However, many of these features are plastic and have proved to be inadequate in the establishment of a robust relationship between closely related taxa. This study was aimed at appropriating leaf macro-morphological characters in the identification and classification of member species.  Fresh leaves of some economically-important species in Asteraceae, Convolvulaceae and Loranthaceae were collected from different locations in Ondo, Osun, and Edo State. Characters such as leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), petiole length (PL) and petiole width (PW) were measured with a line ruler (cm) and Vernier caliper (mm) and subjected to morphometric analysis. Data were analyzed and outputs were presented as bar charts and polygonal graphs. The characters assessed (LL, LW, PL, PW) varied and were statistically significant with Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at p<0.05. Numerical analysis of the leaf morphological characters in the studied families proved to be viable for the circumscription and identification of member species. The study of plant forms and their quantitative analysis are critical to the understanding of morphological diversities in plants as these reveal natural groupings and differences better than qualitative features.