Macromorphological, anatomical and molecular studies of some Araliaceae taxa in Egypt

Abstract This study investigated the morphological features (namely, whole plant, leaf and stem anatomy, leaf architecture, and epidermal characteristics) and molecular characteristics of Araliaceae taxa to explain the diversity and diagnostic significance of these attributes. The sum of both characteristic states of morphological and molecular criteria (182 traits and 78 bands, respectively) from the total (260 traits) of the examined taxa was subjected to a numerical analysis using the NTSYS-PC program (version 2.02). The generated dendrogram explained the similarities and differences between the examined taxa and the specific relationships are discussed and compared with current classification systems. The generated dendrogram from morphological attributes confirmed the separation of Aralieae and Schefflerieae as two tribes of Araliaceae and supported the separation of simple leaved taxa from compound-leaved ones.