Stomatal area as an anatomical criterion for the determination of chromosome number in the Eragrostis curvula complex

Abstract

Twenty stomatal areas of each of 55 Eragrostis curvula (Schrad.) Nees plants were determined. An increase in polyploid level is shown to be moderately correlated with an increase in stomatal area. However, the extent of overlap in stomatal areas between different polyploid levels is too great to use this character for the determination of the polyploid level above the diploid level. All diploid  E. curvula plants have an area of less than 280 µ²,  whereas the tetraploid plants have areas greater than 320 µ². It is therefore possible to identify diploid E. curvula plants on the basis of their stomatal area.