Micropropagation of Annonaceae can produce homogeneous plants and bring new species into commercial production. Plants cultivated in vitro, however, frequently demonstrate anatomical alterations, and the quantification of these changes should aid in determining more efficient culture protocols. The present work undertook a comparative study of the leaf anatomy of six species of Annonaceae cultivated in vitro and in greenhouses. Annona coriacea was the only species that did not show variations in the density or the dimensions of their stomata when cultivated in vitro, while Annona bahiensis, Annona glabra, Annona squamosa, and Rolinia silvatica demonstrated increases in leaf stomatal density and a reduction of the leaf epidermis under these conditions.
Annonaceae; micropropagation; anatomical abnormalities; stomata
