Resumen

LUQUE ARIAS, Rebeca  y  ESTRADA SANCHEZ, Javier. Anatomy of Commelinaceae present in a culture of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in Merida, Venezuela. Acta Bot. Venez. [online]. 2005, vol.28, n.2, pp.181-196. ISSN 0084-5906.

Commelinaceae is, after Poaceae and Cyperaceae, the family of monocotiledons with the greatest number of weeds associated to cultures; among them, some species of Commelina and Tinantia are host for acarus, rust and virus, like the Potato Y potyvirus that affects Solanum tuberosum. In the Andes of Mérida, Commelina obliqua and Tinantia erecta grow like weeds in cultivation of potato. To try to determine the existence of common and differential anatomical characters among them, as well as which anatomical characters favor its establishment in the cultivation, and the existence or not of characters that indicate the presence of possible pathogenic agents associated to them, the anatomy of its vegetative organs was carried out. Both species have amphistomatic leaves, tall epidermical cells , thin cuticle; compact and well defined mesophyll; stem showing abundant adventitious roots; all of those being characters that permit the weed condition. In addition, the parenchyma cells of the leaves sheath seem to be filled with a plasmodium, suggesting infection by pathogens.

Palabras clave : Commelinaceae; Commelina obliqua; Tinantia erecta; Solanum tuberosum; Anatomy; Weeds.