Leaf and spathe anatomy of nine species of the genus Anthurium (sections Urospadix and Leptanthurium) were analyzed. Plant material was collected from different locations in Brazil and cultivated under identical conditions in the Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. Our objective was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of leaf and spathe anatomy for taxonomic purposes. Leaves presented smooth and striated cuticle, epidermal cells randomly disposed, raised and non-raised stomata, epidermal glands, periclinal divisions of epidermal cells, raphides, druses, carotene and diosmin crystals, palisade parenchyma on the adaxial surface of the midrib and sclerenchymatic fibre sheath in the bundle. The spathes also presented smooth and striated cuticle, epidermal cells in parallel rows, raised and non-raised stomata, epidermal glands, raphides, druses and flavonoidic crystals, uniform mesophyll, and presence of sclerenchyma as fibre caps associated to the vascular bundles. The Anthurium species have differences between leaves and spathes based on anatomical characters, but clustering analysis did not separate the species from different sections. Results indicate that spathe can give a better resolution than leaves for segregation of species groups in Anthurium.
Leptanthurium; taxonomy; Urospadix
