Application of petiole and pedicel anatomy in plant taxonomy of five Solanaceae species from West Bengal, India

Here, five Solanaceous species were selected for a comparative study of the petiole and pedicel. A total of 28 characters were examined in the present investigation. The aim of this investigation was to determine the range of variation in these characters and identify taxonomically significant traits. Number of bundles in the vascular system of the petiole, Petiole shape and size, presence of spines, subsidiary vascular bundle size, trichome types with their number and position, vascular bundles shape and size, and wing characteristics were found to be taxonomically useful in distinguishing different species. Floral and fruit pedicel diameter, vascular bundle thickness, trichome types, and spine features also proved valuable in distinguishing species within the Solanaceae. In Past, there were very few works on the petiole and pedicel anatomy of Solanaceae with taxonomic application.