[Anatomy and adaptation to environment study of endangered alpine medical plant Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora].

OBJECTIVE: To study the anatomical structure of endangered alpine medical plant Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora and the high altitude adaptability. METHODS: The leaf epidermis character as well as section structure of leaf, aerial stem and rhizome were observed by light microscopical technique. RESULTS: The leaf surface of Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora was covered with two kinds of glandular hair, and the stommata was anomocytic type. Moreover, the leaf was isolateral and differed from most of alpine plant. The aerial stem had well-developed mechanical tissue. The rhizome was distributed by well-developed cork layers and collenchyma. Large numbers of aerenchymas distributed widely in leaf, aerial stem and rhizome. CONCLUSION: There existed characteristic traits in Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora that adapted the alpine environment, however, there still had some particular character different from other alpine plant. Thus, the adaptive style of alpine plant to high altitude environment was diversity.