By considering that Brazilian species of Ipês are hardly identified when in vegetative stage, the present study aims to research foliar anatomic characters that might allow recognize medicinal ipê species. Leaves of six species of Handroanthus (yellow flowers: H. chrysotrichus, H. ochraceus and H. serratifolius; white flowers: H. roseo-albus; purple flowers: H. heptaphyllus and H. impetiginosus) and one species of Tabebuia (yellow flowers: T. aurea) were prepared to be observed with light microscopy (free-hand cuts), and scanning electronic microscopy (surface analysis). Foliar anatomical characters allow recognizing Ipê species. The better ones provided by foliar lamina were the number of epidermic layers, the stomata position in relation to the other epidermic cells, the occurrence of domatia, the parechymatic cell wall thickening in the margin, the mesophyll type and the presence of paraveinal parenchyma; in the petiole, we can cite the petiole shape, the epidermic cell shape and the occurrence of inner phloematic fibers.
Bignoniaceae; diagnostic character; Handroanthus; Tabebuia
