Objective: To provide new ways for classifying and identifying medicinal curcuma plants.
Method: Based on classical taxonomy, the microscopic features of the epidermis of Curcuma plants in China were scored quantitatively by stereology and image analysis.
Result: It showed that there were a lot of differences in density, size and shape of the epidermic cells among the medicinal Curcuma plants in China; that the average perimeter of the upper epidermic cells, average sectional area of the lower epidermis, stoma density and trichoma distribution of the upper and lower epidermis, etc. could be considered to be the main evidences for the microscopic identification of leaves of Curcuma. The 21 materials which belong to 11 species of Curcuma in China were systematized into 6 species, 1 species complex, 2 cultivated varieties.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that stereology, and image analysis are advanced and feasible in pharmacognosy and taxonomy especially in the authentication of the relative and easily confused species.