Seed Morpho-Anatomical Characters of Some Cardamine taxa from Turkey

Abstract

This manuscript includes morphological and anatomical characters of seeds of 7 taxa of Cardamino genus from Turkey and the importance of these characteristics from a systematic perspective. The outcomes demonstrate that the taxaaccepted vary in terms of seed shape and dimension. The seed dimension varies between 0.91 mm and 2.20 mm in length and between 0.41 mm and 1.63 mm in width, Cardamine graeca having the biggest and C. tenera having the smallest seeds. The seed surface ornamentation is categorized into five types: reticulate-alveolate, scalariform, reticulate, foveate and reticulate-foveate. The most common type is scalariform and reticulate, however; foveate, reticulateloyeate and reticulate-alveolate ornamentation types have been noticed to be taxon-specific. The testa is mostly occurred with 3 layers: the outer epidermis, the inner epidermis, and the parenchyma. layer. However, C. tenera and C. graeca taxa have an additional inner testa layer under the outer testa. The shapes and thicknesses of the outer epidermis and the inner epidermis, presence of the inner testa and the parenchyma layer are very important characteristics that, disclose inter-specific relations within the studied species. Moreover, key is offered for the identification of the studied taxa based on seed characters.