Many of the plants found in serpentine areas are endemics and they may accumulate Ni at high concentration. High accumulation of Cr is rare, or in some views, never properly demonstrated. Generally, a very small proportion of any serpentine flora shows high accumulation of Ni, in some serpentine areas Ni accumulators are completely absent. There are approximately 570 hyperaccumulator plant species found on earth, 450 of them are Ni hyperaccumulators. A few of the Ni accumulators have potential for phytoremediation or phytomining. In the present study, 19 different Brassicaceae members growing in serpentine habitats in the district of Yahyalı, Kayseri province, Turkey viz., members of genera Aethionema, Alyssum, Arabis, Heldreichia, Hesperis, Iberis, Isatis, Microthlaspi, Odontarrhena, Pseudosempervivum and Thlaspi were investigated. Nickel concentrations in the soil and underground and aboveground parts of plants were determined by using ICP‐OES. It was observed that Ni concentrations of seven taxa (Odontarrhena muralis, O. oxycarpa, Isatis cappadocica subsp. cappadocica, Microthlaspi perfoliatum, Pseudosempervivum sempervivum, Thlaspi triangulare, Thlaspi rosulare) reach the threshold criterion of 1,000 mg kg−1 for Ni hyperaccumulation. In this study Ni concentrations in aboveground tissues of I. cappadocica subsp. cappadocica are determined as 5,587 mg kg−1 (in dry weight). Accordingly, it is suggested that this taxon be added to the list of Ni hyperaccumulator plants.

İki yakın akraba tür olan Lomelosia argentea ve Lomelosia polykratis türlerinin anatomik özellikleri ilk defa bu çalışmada incelenerek farklılıklarının ortaya konulması ve taksonomik çalışmalarda yaşanabilecek potansiyel karışıklıkların önüne geçilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla mikroskobik gözlemler için parafin metodu kullanılarak türlerin kök, gövde ve yapraklarından HM310 Mikrotom yardımıyla kesitler alınmıştır. Alınan enine kesitler safranin ve fast-green boyaları ile boyandıktan sonra Leica DM750 ışık mikroskobunda incelenmiş ve ölçümleri alınarak fotoğraflanmıştır. L. argentea ve L. polykratis türlerinin bazı benzer anatomik özellikleri bulunmasına rağmen, çeşitli anatomik farklılıkları olduğu da ortaya konulmuştur. Kökte korteks parankiması, floem ve trake; gövdede epidermis, korteks parankiması, floem, öz parankiması, trake ve kutikula; yaprak için üst ve alt kutikula, üst epidermis, trake ve mezofil ölçüm sonuçları, L. polykratis ile L. argentea bitkileri karşılaştırıldığında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur.

Since historical buildings are living mirrors of the past, it is very important to preserve and transfer them to future generations. In this study, plants growing on the walls of Alanya Castle were identified and the damages that these plants gave to the historical construction and the precautions to be taken to prevent these damages were emphasized. A total of 94 plant taxa, including five pteridophytes, one gymnosperm and 88 angiosperms, belonging to 35 families were identified on the walls of Alanya Castle. Conyza canadensis, Inula heterolepis, Phagnalon graecum, Arabis verna, Mercurialis annua, Fumaria parviflora, Cymbalaria microcalyx, Galium canum subsp. antalyense, Parietaria judaica, Hyoscyamus aureus, Poa bulbosa were the dominant plant species of Alanya Castle walls. Possible seed dispersion of these plants on the castle walls and the methods for controlling them are discussed in detail. We conclude that the most effective method of combating plants that grow naturally on historical buildings and give damage to these buildings is mechanical excavation.