XVI International Botanical Congess

A comparative study of the cuticular and epidermal features of two popular ornamental plants, Nerium indivum L. and Thevetia neriifolia Juss. Growing in a polluted (busy thoroughfare with high traffic density) and a non-polluted (botanical garden) area of metropolitan Lucknow (India) were carried out under light and scanning electron microscopes. Significant changes in micro-morphological and surface structures of leaf as a result of exposure to automobile emissions have been observed in both the species. These include: changes in wax pattern, frequency and size of stomata and trichomes. A higher metal content in leaves and soil samples of polluted sites was also recorded. While the two plant species showed changes in their micro=morphological characters, the pollution stress did not cause any adverse effect on their growth and phenology. The present study suggests the significance of these plants in indication and mitigation of automobile pollution.