COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN STOMATAL ATTRIBUTES OF FICUS SPECIES GROWN IN ZARIA, NORTHWEST NIGERIA

Leaves stomatal characteristics are basically the most commonly used characters in taxonomy and phylogenetic studies in plants. This study was conducted to compare stomatal attributes of eight different Ficus species obtained from Zaria, Northwest Nigeria. Leaves of Eight different species of Ficus: Ficus natalensis, F. glomosa, F. religiosa, F. elastica, F. polita, F. platyphylla, F. capensis, and F. sycomorus were used for the study. The stomatal characters were observed and measured using standard microscopic procedures during both the dry and rainy seasons. More so, the stomatal sizes of each Ficus species were measured using an ocular and stage micrometer. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with fifty (50) replications. Data obtained was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Duncan's New Multiple Range Test applied to separate significant means at 5% level. The result obtained revealed significant variations (P≤0.05) in stomatal sizes and number among the species of Ficus at the two different seasons. Stomatal sizes in Ficus elastica were larger than those of all other Ficus species studied during dry and wet seasons (50.24 µm and 46.43 µm in length and 43.25µm and 35.43 µm in breadth) respectively. However, the highest number of stomata (47 stomata) during the dry season was recorded for Ficus sycomorus with F. natalensis having the highest number of stomata during the wet season (45 stomata). These findings inferred that, the species of Ficus grown in Zaria differ in stomatal size and number indicating their delimitation into separate species