ANATOMIA DE CINCO ESPÉCIES BRASILEIRAS DE SMILAX L. (SMILACACEAE)

The acceptance of the Brazilian species of the genus Smilax L. can only be done effectively through the combination of a set of features and the knowledge of their variability in the vegetative organs. The main goal of this research is to study the anatomy of Smilax elastica Griseb., S. fluminensis Steud., S. rufescens Griseb., S. spicata Vell. e S. subsessiliflora Duhamel, looking for distinctive characteristics which could subsidize the genus taxonomy. Here we describe some aspects of leaf vascularization, the location of the stomata, the delineation of epidermis walls, the shape of leaf margin and the types of vessel elements found in each vegetative organ. Some of these features that can assist in separation of the studied species and can help the taxonomy studies of the Brazilian species of Smilacaceae.