Allium sphaeronixum (Amaryllidaceae), A New Species from Turkey

In this paper, Allium sphaeronixum, a new species of the sect. Codonoprasum from Turkey, is described and illustrated. The new species is endemic to Central Anatolia, limited to the area of Nevşehir, where it grows on sandy or rocky soil at an elevation of 1000-1300 m a.s.l. Its morphology, phenology, karyology, leaf anatomy, seed testa micromorphology, chorology, and conservation status are examined in detail. The taxonomic relationships with the closest allied species, A. staticiforme and A. myrianthum, are also highlighted and discussed.

Impatiensyunlingensis (Balsaminaceae), a new species from Yunnan, China

Impatiensyunlingensis S.X. Yu, Chang Y. Xia & J.H. Yu (Balsaminaceae), a species new to science discovered in Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated here, along with its phylogenetic position among other Impatiens species. Morphological, micro-morphological and molecular evidence is presented as an attestation of its novelty. Impatiensyunlingensis is similar to I.delavayi in having coarsely crenate leave margins, bracts in the upper part, ca. ⁴/₅ length of the pedicels, saccate lower sepal with shallowly bifid spur, linear capsules, and elliptic-oblong, tuberculate seeds, but differs from I.delavayi with lateral sepals 4 (vs. 2), lateral united petal basal lobes subtriangular (vs. dolabriform), and seeds' surface equipped with tubercular ornamentation mostly covered with grain shaped appendages (vs. glabrous and without grain shaped appendages on the top).

Seed macro- and micromorphology in Allium (Amaryllidaceae) and its phylogenetic significance

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Macro- and micromorphology of seeds are diagnostic characteristics of importance in delimiting taxa in Allium (Amaryllidaceae). However, there is no consensus on the phylogenetic significance of testa cell characteristics and whether they reflect the different evolutionary levels recognized in Allium.

METHODS

Seeds of 95 species (98 samples) representing 14 subgenera and 58 sections of Allium were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for such traits as periclinal wall surface area of ten testa cells, distance between testa cells (macromorphology), testa cell shapes, and arrangement and structure of anticlinal and periclinal walls (micromorphology). The data matrix was subjected to cladistic analysis. The produced phylogenetic tree was examined against the molecular tree obtained from publically available ITS sequences.

KEY RESULTS

The periclinal wall surface area of ten testa cells and the distance between them, examined for the first time, were found useful for delimitation of species in Allium. Based on seed macro- and micromorphology, we present a taxonomic key and a hypothetical reconstruction of the migration routes during the early stages of evolution of Allium.

CONCLUSIONS

The ancestors of Allium originated in an area bounded by the Caucasus, Central Asia and Iran. The seed testa morphology-based evolutionary state of a species is determined by two parameters: the shape of the periclinal walls and curvature of the anticlinal walls.

Evolution and Taxonomic Significance of Seed Micromorphology in Impatiens (Balsaminaceae)

Impatiens is one of the most species-rich genera of angiosperms, with more than 1,000 species distributed in Eurasia and Africa. Previous studies have shown that seeds of Impatiens display enormous morphological diversity, and seed micromorphology may contribute to the classification of those species. However, the micromorphological seed coat characteristics of Impatiens seeds have not been systematically studied. In this study, we examined 117 Impatiens seeds from two subgenera and seven sections, and analyzed the seed characters of shape, primary ornamentation, secondary ornamentation, anticlinal cell wall, and periclinal cell wall. We discovered that, according to the different shapes of ornamentation, seed coat can be divided into three types, viz, reticulate type, protrusive type, appendicular type, and that they can be further subdivided into 10 subtypes. In addition, the characteristics of seed coat ornamentation with taxonomic significance in this genus are discussed. We reconstructed the ancestral states of the above seed characters of the Impatiens using the maximum likelihood approach based on the reconstructed phylogenetic framework. The seed character reconstruction showed that the seed shape, primary ornamentation, and anticlinal cell wall could be identified as unambiguous, while other characters were ambiguous in the last common ancestor of Impatiens. Reconstruction of important seed morphological characters showed that the secondary ornamentation possesses high plasticity, and the primary ornamentation has high homology. In addition, we inferred the evolutionary trends of seed ornamentation and found that the seed coat ornamentation of Impatiens experienced a complex evolutionary process from a reticulate type into more complex types. We also discussed the relationship between seed coat diversity vs. environmental adaptation and seed dispersal in Impatiens.

Seed micromorphology of Orchis Tourn. ex L. (Orchidaceae) and allied genera growing in Edirne province, Turkey

In this study, the seed micromorphologies of eight taxa of Anacamptis, Neotinea and Orchis growing around Edirne province (Turkey) were investigated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Slides prepared with glycerin jelly were used for measurements under the light microscope and fine details of seed testae characteristics were observed with SEM. Seeds of the investigated orchid taxa are fusiform shaped and of different shades of brown. Their lengths and widths are different among the taxa and range between 0.263-0.640 mm and 0.118-0.208 mm, respectively. Testa surfaces of Orchis mascula subsp. mascula, Orchis purpurea subsp. purpurea and Orchis simia subsp. simia, are smooth while those of Anacamptis coriophora, Anacamptis laxiflora subsp. laxiflora, Anacamptis morio subsp. morio, Anacamptis papilionacea and Neotinea tridentata subsp. tridentata are reticulate. An identification key based on seed morphologies and sizes is suggested for the first time, including testae structures of orchids growing in Edirne province. The overall results of the study showed that morphological structures of orchid's seeds could be used as diagnostic characters in identification.