Leaf, Seed and Pollen Micromorphology in Datura innoxia and Datura stramonium: Implications for Taxonomy and Species Delimitation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University

2 Department of Botany, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

3 Dept. Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

10.48308/pae.2026.242023.1125

Abstract

The genus Datura (Solanaceae) comprises medicinal and toxic plants with a wide global distribution, two of which are native to Iran. In the present study, populations of D. innoxia and D. stramonium were collected from different regions of Iran. Microscopic and micromorphological traits were examined using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed by multivariate statistical methods, to determine the differential value of micromorphological traits of leaves, seeds, and pollen grains to better distinguish Datura species in Iran. The results revealed that leaf surface features, as well as seed traits and pollen morphology provided clear distinctions between the two species. Datura innoxia exhibited dense leaf trichomes, smoother seed surfaces, and striato-reticulate pollen ornamentation, whereas D. stramonium had nearly glabrous leaves, rougher seed surfaces, and rugulate-reticulate pollen ornamentation. The type, length and density of epidermal trichomes, exine ornamentation, lumen type, muri arrangement, exine thickness, length of pollen axes and seed shape and size were of diagnostic importance. The findings demonstrate that micromorphological traits of leaves, seeds, and pollen are of high taxonomic value in distinguishing Datura species in Iran and can serve as complementary tools in systematic studies and identification keys. Nevertheless, research gaps remain, including the need for more extensive population sampling, precise quantitative measurements, statistical comparisons across different geographical regions, and integration of micromorphological data with molecular phylogeny.

Keywords

References

Adedeji, O., and Akinniyi, T.A., 2015. Pollen morphology of some species in the family Solanaceae. Journal of Advanced Laboratory Research in Biology, 6(4), 124-128.
Al-Quran, S., 2004. Pollen morphology of Solanaceae in Jordan. Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, 7(9), 1586-1593.
Arefi, M., Barzegari, N., Asgari, M., Soltani, S., Farhidnia, N., and Fallah, F., 2016. Datura poisoning, clinical and laboratory findings. Report of five cases. Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine, 24(4), pp308-311. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4323/rjlm.2016.308.
Aworinde, D.O., Ogundele, A., and Ogundairo, B.O., 2014. Morphological and Leaf Epidermal Features of Some Capsicum Species (Solanaceae) from Nigeria. Pertanika Journal of Tropical Agricultural Science, 37(1), 65 – 72.
Barakat, N.A., Soliman, M.S.A., and Zahran, F.A., 2019. Macro-and micro-morphometrical seed characters in seven species of Egyptian Datura and Nicotiana (Solanaceae). Phytotaxa, 413(2), 149-158. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.413.2.4
Barthlott, W., Neinhuis, C., Cutler, D., Ditsch, F., Meusel, I., Theisen, I., and Wilhelmi, H., 1998. Classification and terminology of plant epicuticular waxes. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 126(3), 237-260. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.1998.tb02529.x.
Basak, M., Sonar, A. S., and Chowdhury, M., 2017. Phenetic study of some Indian Solanaceae based on foliar micromorphology, palynology and reproductive potentiality. Plant Archives, 17(2), 1267-1273.
Bhat, N. A., Jeri, L., Mipun, P., and Kumar, Y., 2018. Systematic studies (micro-morphological, leaf architectural, anatomical and palynological) of genus Physalis L. (Solanaceae) in northeast India. Plant Archives, 18(2), 2229-2238.
Bonde, K., 2001. The genus Datura: from research subject to powerful hallucinogen, Ethnobotanical Leaflets, 1998(1), 10.
Bye, R. and Sosa, V., 2013. Molecular phylogeny of the jimsonweed genus Datura (Solanaceae). Systematic Botany, 38(3), pp.818-829. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1600/036364413X670278.
Dhanya, C. and Devipriya, V., 2016. Pollen morphological studies on two Solanaceous genera Brugmansia Pers. and Datura L. L. International Journal of Advanced Research, 4, pp.1879-1887.
Gaire, B.P. and Subedi, L., 2013. A review on the pharmacological and toxicological aspects of Datura stramonium L. Journal of integrative medicine, 11(2), pp.73-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3736/jintegrmed2013016.
Gaire, B.P., 2008. Monograph on Datura stramonium. The School of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Pokhara University, Nepal.
Gómez-Nucamendi, O.L., Hernández-Sandoval, L., Figueroa-Cabañas, M., and Martínez, M., 2016. Leaf anatomy of four species and one variety of Datura (Solanoidea, Solanaceae). Journal of Plant Biology Research, 5(2),37-47.
Hammer, O., Harper, D. and Ryan, P., 2020. PAST: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education and Data Analysis version. 4.03. Palaeontologia Electronica, 4, 1-9.
Harisha, C.R. and Jani, S., 2013. Pharmacognostical study on trichomes of Solanaceae and its significance. Univers J Pharm, 2, pp.100-104.
Hassan, R.A. and Amer, W.M., 2019. Biosystematic study of the Egyptian Datura stramonium (Solanaceae). Phytotaxa, 408(3), pp.178-194. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.408.3.3.
Ibrahim, H.M., Abdo, N.A., Al Masaudi, E.S., and Al-Gifri, A.N.A., 2016. Morphological, epidermal, and anatomical properties of Datura Linn. Leaf in Sana’a City-Yemen and its taxonomical significance. Asian Journal of Plant Science and Research, 6(4), pp.69-80.
Joubert, A.M., Verhoeven, R.L. and Venter, H.J.T., 1984. An anatomical investigation of the stem and leaf of the South African species of Lycium L.(Solanaceae). South African Journal of Botany, 3(4), pp.219-230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-4618(16)30033-X
Junlakitjawat, A., Thongpukdee, A. and Thepsithar, C., 2010. Seed coat micromorphology of some Solanum species in Thailand. Journal of the Microscopy Society of Thailand, 24(1), pp.13-16.
Kaya, A., Satıl, F. and Aslan, M., 2016. Seed morphology of the genus Hyoscyamus L. in Turkey and its systematic significance. Acta Microscopica, 25(2), pp.48-55.
Khafagi, A., El-Ghamery, A., Ghaly, O. and Ragab, O., 2018. Fruit and seed morphology of some species of Solanaceae. Taeckholmia, 38(1), pp.123-140. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21608/taec.2018.13520.
Khatamsaz, M., 1998. Flora of Iran (Solanaceae), no. 24. -Tehran.
Kong, M.J., Lee, J.S. and Hong, S.P., 2011. Comparative seed morphology of Solanaceae in Korea. Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy, 41(1), pp.35-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11110/kjpt.2011.41.1.035.
Luna-Cavazos, M. and Bye, R., 2011. Phytogeographic analysis of the genus Datura (Solanaceae) in continental Mexico. Revista mexicana de biodiversidad, 82(3), pp.977-988.
Maslo, S. and Šarić, Š., 2019. Datura innoxia Mill.(Solanaceae), a new alien species in the flora of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Thaiszia, 29, pp.225-230. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33542/TJB2019-2-07.
Mohsen, L. and Badr, A., 2019. Description of seed and pollen micromorphology and their taxonomic impact in some Solanum L. species. Taeckholmia, 39(1), pp.1-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21608/taec.2019.11353.1003.
Munien, P., Naidoo, Y. and Naidoo, G., 2015. Micromorphology, histochemistry and ultrastructure of the foliar trichomes of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Solanaceae). Planta, 242(5), pp.1107-1122. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-015-2341-1.
Nandini, D., Ravikumar, B.S. and Prasanna, R.K.K., 2015. Morphometric analysis of Datura plant to understand variation and similarities among four major species. Med Aromat Plants, 4(209), pp.2167-0412.
Perveen, A. and Qaiser, M., 2007. Pollen morphology of family Solanaceae from Pakistan. Pak. J. Bot, 39(7), pp.2243-2256.
POWO, 2025. (Plants of the World Online), Datura L. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Plants of the World Online | Kew Science. (Accessed 26 September 2025)
Rajurkar, A. and Tidke, J., 2019. Pollen morphodiversity in some genera of family Solanaceae. International Journal of Applied Research, 3(3), pp.113-115.
Schonbeck-Temesy, E., 1972. Solanaceae. In: Rechinger, K.H. (ed). Flora Iranica 100:1-82.
Shah, V.V., Shah, N.D. and Patrekar, P.V., 2013. Medicinal plants from Solanaceae family. Research journal of pharmacy and technology, 6(2), pp.143-151.
Symon, D. and Haegi, L., 1991. Datura (Solanaceae) is a New World genus. Solanaceae. III. Taxonomy, chemistry, evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens Press, Kew, UK, pp.197-210.
Timmerman, H., 1927. Datura: the nomenclature of the species used in medicine. Pharmaceutical Journal Pharmacist.118, 64, 571.
Wallis, T.E. and Konjovic, M., 1963. Datura sanguinea R. and P., its Stem and Leaves. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 15(Supplement_1), pp.170T-179T. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-7158.1963.tb11207.x.
Plant, Algae, and Environment
Volume 9, Issue 4
DOi
December 2025
Pages 59-72

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics