Seed morphology of four Lavatera species distributed in Turkey were investigated via light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine their seed macro-and micromorphological characters and to assess the diagnostic value of these features. The seeds are dark brown in color and reniform with rounded apex and base reniform in shape. The dimension of seeds ranges between 1.68-2.89 mm in length and 1.51-2.4 mm in width. Also seeds are glabrous, strophiolate and hilum at basal. Two types of seed surface pattern have been observed: scalariform-ruminate and reticulate-ruminate. The seed size and seed coat ornamentation have been determined as important morphological properties for distinguishing the Lavatera species.

Highlights • Verbascum aytachii is defined as a new hybrid species to science. • V. aytachii and its parents are compared in terms of morphology and palynology. • The stem length, indumentum, filaments and aperture type are the most discriminative characters.