ABSTRACT Digestive herbal teas in the form of monoherbal infusions or in mixtures are the most commonly used form of phytotherapy in Bahía Blanca (Argentina). This practice is based on family tradition reinforced by current trends reverting to the ingestion of natural products. The objective of this work was to analyze the botanical quality of the digestive mixtures sold in Bahía Blanca as fine cut mixtures (in tea bags) and thick cut mixtures (fragmented herbs). Samples of seven mixtures sold in the form of tea bags and four as bags of fragmented herbs were studied under stereoscopic and optical microscopes and micrographic studies were carried out following conventional protocols. Observed characteristics were compared with those in the reference bibliography for verified genuine monoherbs. In the studied products a total of 21 different species were found. There was total concordance between the species declared on the label and those identified in the samples in six of the mixtures in the form of tea bags and in only one of the bags of fragmented herbs. Adulterations were found in four of the samples analyzed (one in a tea bag and three in the fragmented mixtures). The labels on only two of the tea bag samples presented complete and correct information; in the remaining samples irregularities were found related to: the taxonomic identification of the species, the absence of a lot number, date of expiry, the plant parts used and proportions of the herbs etc. The findings underline the great importance of quality controls as a tool to protect the rights of phytotherapy consumers.

The varied vegetation of the salt marshes develops specific strategies to address factors that limit growth. To inquire about these adaptive mechanisms, leaf and caulinar anatomy was studied in 35 species inhabiting the Salitral de la Vidriera (Prov. Buenos Aires), using traditional histological techniques. A few species have thick cuticle while much of them have thickened walls of epidermal cells. Most leaves are amphistomatic, presenting some species protected stomata. Only three species have salt glands. There is a scarce development of sclerenchymatic tissue at leaf level, while the stems have a great proportion of sclerenchyma and collenchyma. Overall both organs have aqueous tissue. The most commonly type of leaf anatomy is isolateral mesophyll, the dorsiventral, Kranz and central structure are less frequent. Stems of three species have endodermis. Several species develop an early secondary growth, and in some is observed an atypical secondary growth by the differentiation of master cambium. In this work, which is the first morphoanatomical study in southwest salt marshes of Buenos Aires, it was found that the occurrence of functional anatomical characters is more diverse in leaves than in stems.

La variada vegetación de los salitrales desarrolla estrategias específicas para enfrentar factores limitantes del crecimiento. Para indagar acerca de estos mecanismos adaptativos se estudió la anatomía foliar y caulinar de 35 especies que habitan el Salitral de la Vidriera (Provincia Buenos Aires), utilizando técnicas histológicas tradicionales. Algunas pocas especies presentan cutícula gruesa mientras que en gran parte de las mismas las células epidérmicas tienen paredes engrosadas. La mayoría de las hojas son anfiestomáticas, presentando algunas estomas protegidos. Sólo tres especies poseen glándulas de sal. El tejido esclerenquimático es escaso a nivel foliar, mientras que en los tallos tanto el esclerénquima como el colénquima alcanzan gran desarrollo. En general ambos órganos poseen tejido acuífero. En la anatomía foliar el tipo de mesofilo más frecuente es el isolateral mientras que el dorsiventral, la estructura Kranz y el céntrico resultan menos frecuentes. Tallos de tres especies presentan endodermis. En varias de las especies se observa crecimiento secundario temprano, así como también el desarrollo de un crecimiento secundario atípico por diferenciación del máster cámbium. En este trabajo, que constituye el primer estudio morfoanatómico en salitrales del sudoeste bonaerense, se comprobó que la ocurrencia de caracteres anatómicos funcionales es más diversa en hojas que en tallos.

Its taxonomic importance. Nitrophila australis is an endemic halophyte species of Argentina while Nitrophila occidentalis is a native halophyte of North America, both belonging to Polycnemoideae (Chenopodiaceae). They are similar in foliar anatomy: one-layered epidermis, homogeneous chlorenchyma, acqueous tissue and one large central bundle with a variable number of smaller ones on each side of the latter; the main difference stands in the cuticular striae and marginal ribs on each side of the leaf. The stem of both species shows a one-layered epidermis, subepidermic angular collenchyma and a cortical aerenchymatous parenchyma. Four bundles occur in the stele of N. australis while in N. occidentalis there are eight; both show caps of collenchyma associated with each bundle. A superficial phellogen originates in the rhizome of the argentinean species, whereas in the american one it differenciates deep in the cortex. The number of bundles in the rhizome stele of both is variable. Although the general morphological and anatomical characteristics are similar in the species studied, each one has certain specific features, rendering the anatomical study taxonomically valuable at the species level.

Nitrophila australis es una halófita endémica de la Argentina mientras que Nitrophila occidentalis es una halófita nativa de Norteamérica; ambas pertenecen a las Polycnemoideae (Chenopodiaceae). Su anatomía foliar es similar: epidermis uniestratificada, clorénquima homogéneo, tejido acuífero y un haz vascular central con un número variable de haces menores a cada lado del mismo; la principal diferencia reside en las estrías cuticulares y carenas marginales. El tallo de ambas especies posee una epidermis uniestratificada, colénquima angular subepidérmico y parénquima cortical aerenquimatoso. La estela de N. australis posee cuatro haces vasculares mientras que la de N. occidentalis tiene ocho; ambas especies presentan casquetes de colénquima asociados a los haces vasculares. En el rizoma de la especie argentina el felógeno es superficial mientras que el de la americana se diferencia más profundamente. En ambas especies se observa un número variable de haces vasculares en la estela. Si bien las características morfológicas y anatómicas generales son similares en estas especies, cada una presenta algunas variaciones específicas, por lo cual su estudio anatómico reviste valor taxonómico a nivel de especie.