The leaf anatomy of Ixora chinensis lam. and its systematic significance

Rubiaceae is a well-known family of flowering plants or locally known as coffee family with almost 580 genera. Ixora L. is known as one of the genera under Rubiaceae family with approximately 544 species. The genus is native to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Ixora chinensis or locally known as ‘Chinese ixora’ is recognised as potential medicinal plants which has been used to treat diseases. The root and leaves parts from this species are used widely by Asian people due to it medicinal values. In Asian, the roots are used to relieve the stomach problems. Specifically, in Malaysia, a decoction of the root is used after childbirth for women. An anatomical study of Ixora chinensis from the Rubiaceae family have been conducted to identify the leaf anatomical characteristics of species studied that can be useful in species identification. The methods used were leaf clearing, epidermal peeling and sliding microtome cross-sectioning. The findings highlighted several characters that can be used to identify species Ixora chinensis. Key findings include the presence of mucilage cells, anticlinal walls of epidermis surface, cell inclusions such as druses in the petiole and midrib, and hypostomatic stomata. These characteristics can be used as additional data for species identification. Additionally, the presence of unique features like mucilage cells or specific stomatal arrangements may indicate adaptive responses to environmental conditions. In conclusion, leaf anatomical features can be useful tools for recognizing and classifying certain Rubiaceae species.