Anatomical and ecological characteristics of Pyrularia edulis (Cervantesiaceae) recorded in Lao Cai, Vietnam

Abstract

Pyrularia edulis, a member of the genus Pyrularia (Cervantesiaceae), is recorded in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim and recently, Vietnam. Several studies have been conducted to assess the species diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Pyrularia. However, up to now, information on the anatomy of Pyrularia, especially P. edulis of Asia, is still unclear and needs to be studied. The study using specimens of Pyrularia edulis collected in Lao Cai, Vietnam, provided basic information on the ecology and anatomical characteristics of this species. The results show that the anatomical structures of the stem, leaves, and roots of P. edulis are consistent with those of dicotyledons, but with some distinctive features such as the presence of collenchyma in the bark of the secondary stem and calcium oxalate crystals in the stem and leaves. These anatomical characteristics demonstrate the species' adaptation to ecological conditions as a light-loving plant of the order Santalales, typically distributed in forest fringe areas.