Abstract
Mangrove taxa, apart from their morphological characters, have some unique leaf anatomical features which are very much related to their adaptation as the plants grow in unstable, variable and saline environments with regular tidal influence. Special stomatal structures with extended cuticles render the transpiration rate in many taxa. The presence of glandular and non-glandular hairs on the abaxial and/or adaxial leaf surfaces in some taxa are related to salt secretion of these plants. Comparatively large amounts of water storage tissues occur in the hypodermal or mesophyll tissue of the leaves, reflecting the adaptive nature of mangroves in their stressful habitat. The occurrence of terminal tracheids helps with capillary water storage within the leaf. The coriaceous nature of the leaves in some taxa is due to the presence of sclereids within the mesophyll region. It is noted thatHeritiera is unsuitable to the highly saline habitat of the Sundarbans forest region because of some anatomical peculiarities.
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Das, S. An adaptive feature of some mangroves of Sundarbans, West Bengal. J. Plant Biol. 42, 109–116 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03031018
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03031018