Taxonomic value of new leaf blade anatomical characters of three Cecropia species (Urticaceae: Cecropieae) from CORDOBA, COLOMBIA

Anatomical characteristics of the leaf epidermis and mesophyll of Cecropia longipes, C. membranacea and C. peltata are described. Plant material was collected in Cordoba-Colombia. Epidermal dissociations and cross-sections of the middle blade were performed using conventional histological techniques. Traits, such as the shape and outline of the epidermal cells, the abaxial arachnoid indumentum, the organization of the cells in the trichome base, the epidermal idioblasts, and the type and distribution of the stomata, allow to differentiate C. membranacea from the other species. C. longipes and C. peltata are similar in the leaf blade anatomy; however, it is possible to distinguish them considering the multilayered epidermis and the proportion of chlorophyll parenchyma. Nevertheless, these traits were not observed in all the samples. The characters evaluated in this study have great taxonomic value and can contribute to the identification of the Cecropieae tribe species.