干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

"Pharmacobotanical Study of Leaves of Nicotiana glauca (Solanaceae)". A pharmacobotanical study of the leaves of Nicotiana glauca Graham, a species known as "fumo-bravo" in northeastern Brazil that is used as cigars against tooth pains. Morphological studies and field observations were carried out for botanical identification and macroscopic morphodiagnosis. Paradermic cuts and transversal sections of the leaves (blades and petiole) were made for the microscopic morphodiagnosis, cleared and stained with safranin and/or astrablue. The leaves of Nicotiana glauca are subcrassa, ovate to elliptic, glaucous, with small petiole. The blade leaves are amphistomatic with stomata of the anisocytic type. The epidermis is one-stratified with sinuate and polygonal cells; the mesophyll is homogenous formed by palisade cells. The vascular system has only one central vascular bundle in midrib and three in petiole, which were observed in basal, median and proximal portions. This set of macroscopic and microscopic characters of the leaves are diagnostic traits for Nicotiana glauca.