This investigation was carried out at the Agricultural Experiment and
Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. dJring the
season of 1997/98 to study the anatomical features of seven species of the genus
Vicia. Transverse sections of primary root at the age of two weeks revealed that the
stele was tetrarch in V. faba and triarch in Ihe other studied species. The primary
xylem strand was solid in V. hybrida root, while in the other species the scular
cylinder exhibited pith with different areas in root center. Transections of the first internode of the main stem showed that in V. {aba
most of transitional steps towards the stem structure took place in this inter ode. In
the other six species, this transitional internode exhibited intermixture of (O~t - like
and stem - like orientations of the vascular tissues. The second internode of the main
stem revealed structure of true stem in V. taba and V. narbonensis. In the other five
species thrs internode appeared wide cortex and the center of section was 0 cupied
by xylem vessels of nearly collateral fused vascular bundles. Some of the epH::termal
cells of fifth inrenode contained dark - yellow and brown contents. differentiated as
idioblasts in V. sativa. Prismatic or rhomboid crystals were noticed in primary hloem
and cortical bundle regions in V. ervl1ia and V. narbonensis. Transections of median internode of the tallest basal branch. at the age of 12
weeks, revealed that V. {aba showed the highest cross sectional area f.nd V.
pa/aestina or V. hybrida appeared the lowest cross sectional area. This interno e was
hollow in the species of V. tebe, V. narbonensis and V. sativa and solid in the species
of V. villos a , V. palaestina, V. hybn'da and V. ervilia. Stems and leaf blad s of V.
palaestina and V. villas a were characterized by the presence of fan -like bodies in
some epidermal cells, and outer layers of stem cortex. Transvers sections of the leaflet blades of Ihe tallest branch leaf showed that
V. faba had thicker midrib and midvein, while V. palaestina. V. hybrida. and V ervi/ia
species appeared lower midvein size.