The leaf micromorphology and anatomy of gamba grass, Andropogon gayanus Kunth (Poaceae: Panicoideae)

Jeremy Farr; S. Krisantini; Melodina Fabillo

doi:10.1071/BT23104

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

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The leaf micromorphology and anatomy of gamba grass, Andropogon gayanus Kunth (Poaceae: Panicoideae)

Jeremy Farr

^A ^B ^* , S. Krisantini ^C ^D and Melodina Fabillo ^E ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A CSIRO Agriculture and Food, 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.

^B School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.

^C School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Qld, Brisbane, Qld, Australia.

^D Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB (Institut Pertanian Bogor) University, Kabupaten Bogor, Indonesia.

^E Queensland Herbarium and Biodiversity Science (BRI), Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha, Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong, Qld 4066, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: Jeremy.Farr@csiro.au, Melody.Fabillo@des.qld.gov.au

Handling Editor: Garry Cook

Australian Journal of Botany 72, BT23104 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT23104

Submitted: 4 December 2023 Accepted: 3 March 2024 Published: 21 March 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Andropogon gayanus, commonly known as gamba grass, is one of the declared weeds of national significance in Australia. Past studies have focused on gross morphology of root structures, biogeochemical behaviour, and ecology, but there has been limited work on comparative descriptions of leaf micromorphology and anatomy.

Aims

We investigated and described its leaf micromorphology and anatomy to understand weed biology and ecophysiology.

Methods

Optical and scanning electron microscope examination of the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces of A. gayanus was carried out. We identified and generated a list of morphological characters that were used to compare several dried herbarium specimens of A. gayanus.

Key results

The leaf characters were consistent across all specimens examined, with minor differences in leaf pubescence, indicating this could be a plastic trait.

Conclusions

Andropogon gayanus leaves are well adapted to wet and dry tropical conditions. Plasticity in leaf surface pubescence possibly enhances its adaptability, increasing its success as a weed in Australian ecosystems. The success of A. gayanus in Australia could be because the environment compares favourably with the native environment of the species in Africa, where it has adapted to extremes of wet and dry conditions over a large geographical range.

Implications

Plant morphological and taxonomic studies of A. gayanus focused on describing characters of spikelets and caryopses are recommended to understand how reproductive structures aid in its successful proliferation.

Keywords: agrostology, freehand sectioning, gamba grass, leaf characteristics, leaf replica, micromorphology, scanning electron microscope, taxonomy, weeds.

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