Anatomical and morphological characteristics of Populus euphratica in the lower reaches of Tarim River under extreme drought environment

Populus euphratica Oliv.is an old desert tree species that has been naturalized and invades zones along the watercourses in many arid and semiarid regions.The plant species developed some plasticity to adapt to the gradual environmental gradients.The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the changes in leaf morphology of P.euphratica reflect the adaptability of the plant to the unique environment of the lower reaches of Tarim River in China.The foliar architecture,blade epidermal and internal an...