Micromorphology of leaf lower epidermis of 4 species plants of Elymus L.

Elymus L. is an important perennial genus within the tribe Triticeae. The micro morphology of leaf lower epidermis of 4 species of Elymus L. were examined under light microscope (LM). The results show that the leaf lower epidermis of Elymus L. were characterized by long rectangle cells, sinuolate or sinuat anticlinal wall, presence of short cells in shape of an ellipse and in twins, round or plat tectiform subsidiary cells, silica bodies in intercostal long cell. But some characteristics were different among these species, including the size of surface cells and the pattern of itsanticlinal wall, the size of stomas, silica cells, which can be used for their identification. The study on the micro morphology of leaf lower epidermis could provide some anatomy evidences, useful in reasonable utilization and exploitation of the germplasm resource.