Leaf Epidermal Anatomy of Euphorbiaceae and Phyllanthaceae from the Kaliurang Sector of Mount Merapi, Indonesia
DOI:
10.29303/jbt.v26i3.13072Published:
2026-08-18Downloads
Abstract
Euphorbiaceae and Phyllanthaceae are diverse seed plant families whose classification has been extensively studied, particularly since molecular evidence established Phyllanthaceae as a distinct family. This study investigated leaf epidermal anatomy of species occurring in Central Java, Indonesia, to provide additional evidence for their taxonomic characterization. Twelve species representing six genera were examined, comprising five Euphorbiaceae and seven Phyllanthaceae species, including ten native and two introduced species. Leaf epidermal sections were analyzed based on epidermal cell shape, anticlinal wall patterns, stomatal types, and stomatal distribution. Anomocytic stomata were observed only in Euphorbia heterophylla and Euphorbia hirta, suggesting their potential as diagnostic characters. Amphistomatic leaves occurred in E. heterophylla and Phyllanthus niruri, whereas the remaining species were hypostomatic. However, diacytic stomata, epidermal cell shapes, and anticlinal wall patterns overlapped between the two families. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis also failed to clearly separate the species according to family classification. These findings indicate that leaf epidermal characters are useful for species-level characterization but do not consistently distinguish Euphorbiaceae from Phyllanthaceae. The study provides baseline anatomical data for tropical Indonesian species and highlights the need for further research incorporating broader anatomical and morphological characters.
Keywords:
Anatomy Classification Euphorbiaceae Leaf epidermal incision PhyllanthaceaeReferences
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. (2009). An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161(2), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x
Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. (2016). An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 181(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12385
Backer, C. A., & Bakhuizen van den Brink, R. C. (1963). Flora of Java (Vol. 1). NVP Nordhoff.
Bouman, R. W., Keβler, P. J. A., Telford, I. R. H., Bruhl, J. J., Strijk, J. S., Saunders, R. M. K., & van Welzen, P. C. (2021). Molecular phylogenetics of Phyllanthus sensu lato (Phyllanthaceae): Towards coherent monophyletic taxa. Taxon, 70(1), 72–98. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12424
Christenhusz, M. J. M., & Byng, J. W. (2016). The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa, 261(3), 201–217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1
Cotthem, W. R. J. van. (1970). A classification of stomatal types. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 63(3), 235–246. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1970.tb02321.x
Esser, H.-J. (1997). A revision of Omalanthus (Euphorbiaceae) in Malesia. Blumea, 42(2), 421–466.
Fayed, A. A., Soliman, M., Faried, A., & Hassan, M. (2019). Taxonomic evaluation of Euphorbiaceae sensu lato with special reference to Phyllanthaceae as a new family to the flora of Egypt. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 11(1), 47–64.
Gagliardi, K. B., Souza, L. A. de, & Albiero, A. L. M. (2013). Comparative fruit development in some Euphorbiaceae and Phyllanthaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution, 299(10), 1959–1970. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-013-0918-3
Govaerts, R., Casas, F. J. F., Barker, C., Carter, S., Davies, S., Esser, H. J., Gilbert, M., Hoffmann, P., Radcliffe-Smith, A., Steinmann, V., van Welzen, P. C., & Whitmore, T. (2018). World Checklist of Euphorbiaceae. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Hammer, Ø., Harper, D. A. T., & Ryan, P. D. (2001). PAST: Paleontological Statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica, 4(1), 1–9.
Hidayat, A. A., Suyantri, E., & Kusuma, Y. W. C. (2025). Conservation Analysis of Threatened Tree-Level Plant Species on the Island of Java. Journal of Biology, Environment, and Edu-Tourism, 1(1), 1–6. https://journals.widhatulfaeha.id/index.php/jbee/article/view/6
Kathriarachchi, H., Samuel, R., Hoffmann, P., Maurin, O., Wurdack, K. J., & Chase, M. W. (2005). Molecular phylogenetics of Phyllanthaceae inferred from plastid atpB, matK, ndhF, rbcL, and nuclear PHYC sequence data. American Journal of Botany, 92(11), 1882–1890. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.92.11.1882
Moustafa, N. A. A. (2024). Numerical classification of the Phyllanthaceae Martinov based on leaf morphological characters. Egyptian Journal of Botany, 64(1), 135–147. https://doi.org/10.21608/ejbo.2023.218523.2384
Pruesapan, K., Telford, I. R. H., Bruhl, J. J., & Welzen, P. C. van. (2012). Phylogeny and proposed circumscription of Breynia, Sauropus, and Synostemon (Phyllanthaceae), based on chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences. Australian Systematic Botany, 25(5), 313–330. https://doi.org/10.1071/SB11005
Rugayah, Retnowati, A., Windradi, F. I., & Hidayat, A. (2004). Pengumpulan data taksonomi. Dalam Rugayah, E. A. Widjaja, & Praptiwi (Ed.), Pedoman Pengumpulan Data Keanekaragaman Flora (hlm. 5–42). Puslit Biologi LIPI.
Soerjani, M., Kostermans, A. J. G. H., & Tjitrosoepomo, G. (1987). Weeds of rice in Indonesia. Balai Pustaka.
Tania, S. F., Sukiman, Kurnianingsih, R., Julisaniah, N. I., & Sukenti, K. (2026). Ethnobotanical Diversity and Local Knowledge of Komak Plants (Fabaceae) in West Lombok Regency, Indonesia. Indonesian Journal of Tropical Biology, 2(1), 18–25. https://doi.org/10.65622/ijtb.v2i1.277
Uka, C. J., Okeke, C. U., Awomukwu, D. A., Aziagba, B., & Muoka, R. (2014). Taxonomic significance of foliar epidermis of some Phyllanthus species in South Eastern Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, 9(4), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.9790/3008-09410106
Webster, G. L. (1994). Synopsis of the genera and suprageneric taxa of Euphorbiaceae. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 81(1), 33–144. https://doi.org/10.2307/2399909
Welzen, P. C. van, & Pruesapan, K. (2010). Four new species of Breynia (Phyllanthaceae/Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) and one new combination from Thailand and Malaysia. Thai Forest Bulletin (Botany), 38, 111–119.
Welzen, P. C. van. (2003). Revision of the Malesian and Thai species of Sauropus (Euphorbiaceae: Phyllanthoideae). Blumea, 48(2), 319–391. https://doi.org/10.3767/000651903X675017
Wurdack, K. J., Hoffmann, P., Samuel, R., de Bruijen, A., Bank, M. van der, & Chase, M. W. (2004). Molecular phylogenetic analysis of Phyllanthaceae (Phyllanthoideae pro parte, Euphorbiaceae sensu lato) using plastid rbcL DNA sequences. American Journal of Botany, 91(11), 1882–1900. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.91.11.1882
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Riska Annisa, Dewi Sartika Amboupe, Muliana GH, Jamilatus Sa'diyah, Syaidah Fitri, Naufal Hafidh Mahdi Sujarwo Putra, Wendy A. Mustaqim
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Jurnal Biologi Tropis is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the received article shall be assigned to the author as the owner of the paper. The intended copyright includes the right to publish the article in various forms (including reprints). The journal maintains the publishing rights to the published articles.
Authors are permitted to disseminate published articles by sharing the link/DOI of the article at the journal. Authors are allowed to use their articles for any legal purposes deemed necessary without written permission from the journal with an acknowledgment of initial publication to this journal.
