Selenicereus murrillii

Mature stem anatomy

Material identified as Selenicereus murrillii had a thinner cuticle, shorter guard cells and thicker hypodermal cell walls than the studied S. vagans. The two species showed considerable anatomical similarity. Nevertheless, the combination of several quantitative characters supported retention of S. murrillii as a separate species. [Martínez-Quezada et al. 2019, pp.3–4,7–9, Table6]

Material and diagnostic significance

Martínez-Quezada and colleagues compared 25 anatomical characters in four species. Samples came from plants collected in the wild and maintained in the UNAM collection. Material represented three localities for each of three species and one for S. murrillii. Measurements concerned middle segments of mature stems. [Martínez-Quezada et al. 2019, pp.2–3, Table1]

The combination of epidermal and hypodermal characters differentiated groups within the analysed dataset. The authors also note the plasticity of some of these structures and the need for further comparison. An individual cuticle thickness or stomatal count needs to be considered in relation to the material, sampling position and growth conditions. [Martínez-Quezada et al. 2019, pp.8–10]