Does an urban environment affect leaf structure of Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae)?

ABSTRACT External factors can interfere with the structure and biological activity of plants. Nevertheless, the susceptibility of plants to specific environmental conditions varies, which raises many questions about the behavior of medicinal plants when grown in urban areas. This study aims to detect possible changes induced by exposure of Eugenia uniflora L. to an urban environment, with emphasis on variation in external and internal leaf structure and differences in the production of its main metabolites. We compared leaves of E. uniflora cultivated in forest and urban sites and analyzed the...