Open Access

ARTICLE

Delimitation of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. from Melia azedarach L. (Meliaceae Juss.) based on leaf morphology

Usama K Abdel-Hameed

Ain Shams University, Faculty of Science, Botany Department, Abassia, Cairo, Egypt.

* Corresponding Authors:Address Correspondence to e-mail: ; Tel: +20 122 3616259.

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2014, 83(all), 363-367. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2014.83.363

Abstract

In Egypt there are two different species that are commercially marketed under the same trade name of Neem: one is Azadirachta indica A. Juss., and the other is Melia azedarach L. In this paper, leaf morphological characters (e.g., lamina architecture, stomatography, petiole and blade micromorphology) of both taxa were described and illustrated to aid in the identification and differentiation between the two misidentified taxa. The obtained results concluded that leaf morpho-anatomical characters will not only provide criteria for their correct taxonomic authentication, but would also serve as future standard data for the quality assessment of the pharmaceutical preparation of botanical drugs.

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