FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / Em ambientes semiÃridos a disponibilidade hÃdrica à o principal fator limitante para as espÃcies vegetais. Uma associaÃÃo de caracterÃsticas pode contribuir para a economia hÃdrica, entre elas as anatÃmicas. Os atributos anatÃmicos frequentemente relacionados com ambientes de restriÃÃo hÃdrica sÃo denominados xeromorfos. As folhas sÃo ÃrgÃos comumente expostos à incidÃncia solar que apresentam grandes Ãreas de transpiraÃÃo. Presume-se que as folhas das espÃcies da caatinga apresentem atributos morfolÃgicos e anatÃmicos que lhes permitam suportar as condiÃÃes de semiaridez do ambiente em que vivem. Desta maneira, foi realizada a coleta e processamento anatÃmico de acordo com tÃcnicas usuais de folhas em treze espÃcies comuns na caatinga. As caracterÃsticas xeromorfas observadas sÃo possivelmente relacionadas com a economia hÃdrica. Foram distinguidos trÃs grupos funcionais com relaÃÃo a tais atributos. O primeiro (G1) composto por espÃcies caducifÃlias tardias com indumento denso. O segundo (G2) agrupa principalmente as caducifÃlias, e um elemento marcante foi a presenÃa de mucilagem nas cÃlulas epidÃrmicas. No terceiro (G3) estÃo as perenifÃlias e duas caducifÃlias tardias com folhas mais resistentes e cutÃcula espessa. Estes agrupamentos tiveram influÃncia filogenÃtica, entretanto algumas relaÃÃes de proximidade nÃo podem ser atribuÃdas unicamente ao parentesco. Isso pode indicar outras similaridades, provavelmente funcionais, com relaÃÃo ao uso do principal fator limitante do semiÃrido nordestino: a Ãgua. As diversas maneiras de explorar um mesmo recurso sugerem diferenciaÃÃo de nicho que origina os diferentes grupos, enquanto o compartilhamento de caracterÃsticas pode refletir o nÃmero limitado de soluÃÃes adaptativas que direcionariam possÃveis convergÃncias responsÃveis pelas caracterÃsticas compartilhadas dentro de um grupo filogeneticamente distante / In semiarid environments water availability is a main limiting factor for plants. A combination of characteristics can contribute to saving water, including the anatomical ones. The anatomical attributes often associated with environments of water restriction are called xeromorphic. The leaves are organs commonly exposed to sunlight which have large areas of transpiration. It is assumed that the leaves of species in the caatinga exhibit some morphological and anatomical attributes that enable them to withstand the conditions of semiarid environment in which they live. Thus, we performed anatomical collection and processing according to standard techniques in thirteen leaves of species common in the caatinga. Xeromorphic characteristics observed are possibly related to water economy. Three functional groups were distinguished with respect to such attributes. The first (G1), consists of deciduous species with dense indument. The second (G2), consists mainly deciduous, and a distinctive feature is mucilage in the epidermal cells. In the third (G3) are two deciduous and three evergreen with tougher leaves and thick cuticle. These groups have phylogenetic influence, though some close relationships can not be attributed just to kinship, indicating other similarities, probably functional, with respect to the use of the main limiting factor in semiarid environments: water. The various ways of exploiting the same resource suggest niche differentiation, resulting in the different groups, while sharing characteristics may reflect the limited number of adaptive solutions that direct possible convergences responsible for characteristics shared within a group phylogenetically distant

Die Arbeit ist in drei Teile untergliedert: Die Struktur "Hypodermales Wasserspeichergewebe" wird unter anatomischen, ökomorphologischen und evolutionsbiologischen Gesichtspunkten betrachtet. Die Anwesenheit eines farblosen Hypoderms erschwert bei der Musteranalyse variegater Periklinalchimären die Bestimmung der Konstitution der L2. Variegate Periklinalchimären mit Hypodermbildung wurden auf die Möglichkeiten der Bestimmung der L2 hin untersucht. Es werden verschiedene Entstehungsformen von maskierenden Mustern und die noch nicht beschriebenen Ringzellen vorgestellt, die den Idiotyp der L2-bürtigen Schicht anzeigen können. Ringzellen sind die Zellen, die im Bereich der Schließzellen an den substomatären Interzellularraum grenzen. Sie bilden dabei einen Ring um die Schließzellen, der im Flächenschnitt zu erkennen ist. Hypodermale Wasserspeichergewebe sind hauptsächlich bei tropischen Arten verbreitet. Die xeromorphe Struktur kommt sowohl bei den epiphytischen Bromelien als auch bei den hygromorphen Schattenpflanzen des tropischen Regenwaldes vor. Die beiden Selektionsfaktoren Trockenheit und Lichtintensität werden als mögliche Einflussfaktoren auf die Hypodermbildung diskutiert. Beispiele dafür, dass der Faktor Licht auch einen modifikativen Einfluss auf die Differenzierung der Hypodermzellen zu haben scheint, werden vorgestellt. Die Struktur "Hypodermales Wasserspeichergewebe" ist sowohl bei Monokotylen als auch Dikotylen gleichermaßen verbreitet. Es wird daher vermutet, dass es sich um eine analoge Struktur handelt, die mehrmals voneinander unabhängig zu verschiedenen Zeiten bei verschiedenen Arten entstanden ist. Innerhalb einer Gruppe verwandter Arten konnte sie mithilfe der Homologiekriterien als homolog eingestuft werden. / This paper contains three different issues: The structure "hypodermal water storage tissue" is considered from the anatomical, the ecomorphological and evolutionary aspect. Because hypodermal layers are non-green, it is difficult to make a pattern analysis of variegated periclinal chimeras and to determine the constitution of L2. Variegated periclinal chimeras with hypodermal layers were examined to the possibilities of determining L2. Different origins of masking patterns and the non-yet described ring cells are presented. Both structures are able to show the L2-genotype. Ring cells are those cells bordering the intercellular space near the stomata. In a cut parallel to the surface the ring built by ring cells is seen. The hypodermal water storage tissue is mainly distributed among tropical species. The xeromorphic structure occurs both to the epiphytic bromeliads and to the hygromorphic shadow plants of the tropical rainforest. The environmental factors humidity and solar radiation are discussed as possible influences on the development of hypodermal layers. Examples for the apparent modifying influence of solar radiation on the development of hypodermal cells are presented. The structure "hypodermal water storage tissue" occurs both to monocots and dicots. That indicates that it is an analogues structure and that it evolved several times independent of each other in different species. Among a group of nearly related species it could be classified by the aid of the criteria of homology as a homologues structure.