VALOR TAXONÓMICO DE NUEVOS CARACTERES ANATÓMICOS DE LA LÁMINA FOLIAR DE TRES ESPECIES DE Cecropia (URTICACEAE: CECROPIAE) EN CÓRDOBA, COLOMBIA.

Anatomical characteristics of the leaf epidermis and mesophyll of Cecropia longipes , C. membranacea and C. peltata are described. Plant material was collected in Cordoba-Colombia. Epidermal dissociations and cross-sections of middle blade were performed using conventional histological techniques. Traits, such as shape and outline of the epidermal cells, abaxial arachnoid indumentum, organization of the cells in the trichome base, epidermal idioblasts, type and distribution stomata allows to differenciate  C. membranacea from the other species. C. longipes and C. peltata are similar in the leaf blade anatomy, however, it is possible to distinguish them considering the multilayered epidermis and the proportion of chlorophyllian parenchyma. Nevertheless these traits were not observed in all the samples. The characters in this study have great taxonomic value and can contribute with the identification of the Cecropieae tribe species.