Analysis of the Anatomical Differences of Stems and Leaves between Female and Male Plants of Populus yunnanensis Dode

PurposeThe anatomical structure of female and male plants of Populus yunnanensis Dode was observed and analyzed to clarify the differences among different sex plants in different character parameters, so as to provide a theoretical basis for genetic protection of P. yunnanensis.

MethodTaking the female and male plants of P. yunnanensis collected from Dali and Lijiang as materials, the anatomical structures of stems and leaves of female and male plants were observed by paraffin section method, measured and statistically analyzed.

Result(1) Female and male leaves anatomical structures had similar characters, however, there were significant differences in the size of the leaf cells between female and male plants (P<0.05). The leaf thickness, palisade tissue thickness and sponge tissue thickness of the male plant were all lower than that of the female plant, but the composite character indexes of the male plant were higher than that of the female plant, such as the thickness of the upper and lower epidermis, the ratio of palisade to sea, the compactness of the tissue structure and the percentage of the xylem area of the main vein to the vascular bundle area. The anatomical structures of female and male leaves plants in P. yunnanensis in different areas were significantly different (P<0.05). (2) Comparing the anatomical structure of stem segments between female and male plants in P. yunnanensis, it was found that the thickness of epidermis, cortex, xylem, pith diameter and stem diameter of female plants were significantly higher than that of male plants (P<0.05), but the proportion of epidermis thickness, xylem thickness and pith diameter in stem segments of female and male plants was not significantly different (P>0.05). The anatomical structure parameters of female and male stem in P. yunnanensis, in Lijiang area were significantly different (P<0.05), while the ratio of epidermal thickness to stem diameter was not significantly different (P>0.05) in the female and male stems in Dali area.

ConclusionMale plants of P. yunnanensis had some advantages over the female plant in stem and leaf anatomical structure, which might be related to the reason why the female plant was endangered in nature.