| The genus Psychotria comprises approximately 2,000 species that are mostly shrubs distributed in forests of the tropics and subtropics. Within the Rubiaceae, Psychotria is well known for its species that produce bioactive alkaloids and for its taxonomic complexity. The anatomical and micromorphological characters of the leaves of P. hoffmannseggiana, P. carthagenensis, P. deflexa, P. glaziovii, P. leiocarpa, P. racemosa, and P. vellosiana were investigated and described to understand the interspecific variation of these species, which will contribute to the systematics of the genus. Principal component analysis (PCA) and unweighted pair group method analysis (UPGMA) indicated four groups based on the presence or absence of some of the characters studied.... |
