Vellozia brachypoda L. B. Sm. & Ayensu

Vellozia brachypoda L. B. Smith & Ayensu

SPECIMENS EXAMINED.—Irwin 23534.

SURFACE VIEW.—Hairs: absent. Epidermis: cells mostly square to rectangular on adaxial and abaxial surfaces; thin walled. Stomata: paracytic, 15 × 9 μm; present on abaxial surface.

TRANSVERSE SECTION OF LAMINA.—Dorsiventral; V-shaped with small median adaxial groove. Adaxial surface ridged; abaxial surface slightly undulating; furrowed one-third to one-half thickness of blade. Epidermis: adaxial cells dome shaped to conical; abaxial cells rounded to dome shaped; walls uniformly thin on both surfaces. Layer of parenchyma cells subjacent to adaxial epidermis. Cuticle: slightly thickened and ridged on both surfaces. Stomata: present on abaxial surface; almost flush with epidermis; substomatal chamber present. Mesophyll: three- to four-layered palisade with

tissue grading into compactly arranged spongy tissue. Few rectangular translucent palisade cells arranged radially above vascular bundles and furrows. Vascular bundles: 27; commissural bundles not observed. Veins with one to two large vessels, mostly one. Two phloem units lying laterally in flanges of Y-shaped abaxial girder. Adaxial inverted sclerenchyma cap present on each vascular bundle. Bundle sheath completely surrounding each vascular bundle. Crystals and tannins: none observed.