Tannins, Starch Grains and Crystals in Some Species of Indigofera L. (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae)

摘要

Studies on tannins, starch grains and crystal types in the vegetative organs of eight species of Indigofera were carried out using a microscope. This is with the aim of evaluating their reliability as aids in the systematic identification of these species. Results obtained showed that majority of these species (I . paniculata , I . prieureana , I . pulchra , I. senegalensis , I. stenophylla and I. tinctoria ) were found to contain tannins, crystals and other ergastic substances in the various vegetative organs, however the type and distributions of these phytochemical substances are varied in these species. The presence of tannins, crystal sand and starch grains in the leaves and nodes of I. prieureana and I. stenophylla separates these species from the other species studied. The presence of tanninferous bags (uniformly distributed) on the palisade mesophyll and the ground tissue of I. senegalensis and I. pulchra are remarkable and equally diagnostic. The significance of these finding remains an area of further investigation as far as the chemical constituents of these species are concerned.