Morphological And Anatomical Features Of Seeds Of Some Taxa Of Costaceae

Abstract

Exomorphic and anatomical characters of seeds of five species of Costaceae were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy. Seed anatomy was investigated to observe seed structural diversity as a taxonomic aid for the identification of taxa and to explain the adaptive characters for seed dispersal syndromes. Morphometric and micromorphological traits of seeds revealed considerable variation in size, shape and surface pattern. Among all the studied taxa, the taxonomic placement of Tapeinochilos ananassae was uncertain. But the micromorphological characters such as striate round dotted seed surface with tuberculate aril surface and areolate aril structure separate the Tapeinochilos ananassae from other taxa. Micromorphological and anatomical characters support the taxonomical delimitation of five species within the family Costaceae and are significant to analyze the aril structure in detail with implications on seed dispersal syndrome.