This work is a comparative pharmacobotanical study between the leaves of Turnera chamaedrifolia Cambess. and Turnera subulata Sm. (Turneraceae), which are used in folk medicine. The botanical identifications and macroscopical morphodiagnosis were done after morphological studies. The microscopical morphodiagnosis was carried out by paradermic and transversal cuts of the leaves (blade and petiole), clarified and coloured with safranin and astrablue. The leaves of T. chamaedrifolia have hypostomatics epidermis, with wavy cells walls; the mesophyll is dorsiventral; and the vascular system of the peciole has three vascular bundles in the distal and medium portions, and only one, in the proximal portion. T. subulata has amphihypostomatic epidermis, with sinuous cells walls; the mesophyll is isobilateral; and the vascular system of the petiole has only one vascular bundle in the distal portion and three in the medium and proximal portions. The vegetative and reproductive morphologies associated to the leaf anatomy constitute a set of distinctive characters for these species.
Turnera chamaedrifolia; Turnera subulata; Turneraceae; pharmacobotany; medicinal plants
