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This study was designed to explore the micro-anatomical characteristics of leaf and petiole of two unstudied West African native monotypic genera - Anogeissus and Qusqualis in Combretaceae with a view to characterizing the taxa, providing useful research-based information for identification. The samples were prepared following standard procedures. The light microscopic study of the transverse sections of the leaves in A. leiocarpus revealed a thick upper and lower cuticle while the cuticle on both leaf surfaces in Q. indica remain thin. The midrib vascular bundle of the leaf in Q. indica is characterized by arc-shape and starch grains were observed in the parenchyma cells of the ground tissue. The uniseriate rows of lamina epidermis were oval, squared, rectangular or polygonal in Q. indica while it was rectangular or slightly oval in A. leiocarpus. Vascular bundle in the leaves and petioles of both taxa were collateral. Simple, slender and short unicellular non-glandular trichomes were also observed in the leaf and petiole micro-anatomy of both taxa. It was concluded that the micro-anatomical features of the leaves and petioles are important parameters of characterization, used in the identification of the studied taxa.

Leaf and petiole samples of four Combretum Loefl. species which were identified in the Herbarium (IFE) were investigated anatomically in search of stable taxonomic micro-anatomical attributes to improve our knowledge of identification of members of the genus. Anatomical characters; in particular, upper and lower cuticles and epidermal structures, fibre structures, vascular architectures, petiolar outlines and trichome micro-morphology are good taxonomic tools to identify the taxa. The invariable uniseriate to multiseriate upper and lower epidermis; the absence of trichome in the petiole and the presence of branched trichome in the mid-rib region of C. zenkeri P. Beauv delimit the taxa. Variations in vascular architectures can be used to identify the taxa while some other anatomical features in the genus suggest great taxonomic affinities. However, the artificial key, which was constructed using stable taxonomic characters, is a reliable taxonomic tool for proper identification of the four species and which can as well be employed in separating each of the taxa from their close relatives. A detailed micro-anatomical study of leaf and petiole structures of the Nigerian Combretum species may provide an invaluable tool for determination and identification of the four taxa studied, thereby assisting in promoting quality assurance in the genus.