Morphology, anatomy and karyology of endangered Turkish endemic Physoptychis haussknechtii Bornm. (Brassicaceae) from Central Anatolia

Abstract

In this study, the morphology, anatomy, pollen morphology, leaf and seed micromorphology and karyology of the Turkish endangered endemic Physoptychis haussknechtii were investigated in detail for the first time. The species was studied in terms of detailed morphology. Basal leaves are narrowly spatulate and cauline leaves are linear to oblanceolate; both leaves are covered with flattened stalked five-armed trichomes. Raceme length was found to be up to 6 cm and 9 cm in the flowering and fruiting stages, respectively. Sepals are linear-oblong, rarely elliptic with obtuse to subacute apex. Petals are spatulate with emarginate apex. Some morphological characteristics such as dimensions of cauline leaves and ovary and length of pistil were measured for the first time. In an anatomical study, root, stem, basal leaf and cauline leaf were examined. The anatomical results showed that the plants have secondary growth in roots, primary growth in stems, amphistomatic and equifacial basal and cauline leaves with anisocytic stomata. Pollen grains are radial symmetrical, isopolar and tricolpate. The ratio of polar axis to equatorial diameter is 1.16, and pollen shape is subprolate. Exine sculpturing is reticulate under light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Seeds are obovate suborbicular, compressed and pale brown. The chromosome number of P. haussknechtii was defined to be 2n=16. The karyotype formula of P. haussknechtii consists of five metacentric chromosome pairs and three submetacentric chromosome pairs.