Podocarpus lambertii, locally known as "pinheiro-bravo", is a typical Podocarpaceae from Southern Brazil. This family is the most diverse of conifers; it has a distinguishing characteristic, namely the presence of an ovule support structure, called an epimatium. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oil pollution on the leaf structure of P. lambertii through morphology and anatomy. Leaves were collected in Araucária Municipality, Paraná, Brazil, at the Presidente Getúlio Vargas Petroleum Refinery one year after they had been exposed to pollution by an oil spill. This species was studied because besides being a native species, it behaved differently from the other species when faced with pollution. Nine individuals were selected (six exposed to pollution and three controls). We analyzed the leaf surface (length, width and leaf area), tissue thickness and stomatal density using light microscopy. The data were statistically analyzed. Leaf anatomy was rather variable. The individuals that were exposed to pollution had smaller leaf surfaces, while stomatal density and thickness of leaf tissues were greater when compared to the control.
Podocarpus lambertii; Podocarpaceae; pollution; petroleum; leaf anatomy
