Cuticular morphology of Schinus L. and related genera.

This article focuses on the characterization of leaf cuticular traits in four genera of the Anacardiaceae family—Schinus, Lithrea, Mauria, and Euroschinus—using scanning electron and light microscopy. It documents variation in stomatal distribution, stomatal complex morphology, trichome types, and epidermal cell features across 53 species, highlighting that Euroschinus uniquely possesses acuminate-cylindrical glands, which may serve as a synapomorphy for the genus. Schinus, the most species-rich Neotropical genus studied, exhibits considerable variability in stomatal distribution, including hypostomous, amphistomous, and partially amphistomous leaves, with evidence suggesting this trait may be influenced by phenotypic plasticity rather than strictly phylogenetic factors. Multivariate analyses show that cuticular morphology effectively distinguishes among the genera Euroschinus, Mauria, and Lithrea but does not clearly resolve species groups within Schinus. The study underscores the systematic value of trichome characters in Anacardiaceae and calls for further research on stomatal variability using multiple specimens and controlled environmental studies.