Nutlet micromorphology of Mardin in Turkey Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) and its systematic implacations

Abstract

The nutlet (mericarp) morphology of nine species of Salvia sect. Salvia (Salvia bracteata Banks & Sol., Salvia macrochlamys Boiss. & Kotschy, Salvia suffruticosa Montbret & Aucher ex Benth., Salvia trichoclada Benth.), Hymenosphace (Salvia multicaulis Vahl), Aethiopis (Salvia montbretii Benth., Salvia palaestina Benth., Salvia syriaca L.) and Hemisphace (Salvia russellii Benth.) (Lamiaceae) has been studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a detailed description of the nutlet morphological features of all examined taxa is provided. The basic shape of nutlets in most species is subprolate or prolate and the size ranged between 3.02 and 6.47 mm in length and between 1.78 and 5.10 mm in width. Three basic types of sculpturing can be distinguished: colliculate, reticulate and verrucate. The colliculate type is the most common among the studied species. The colliculate type is characteristic for sect. Salvia. Subsection Salvia with colliculate/slightly furrowed sculpturing is easily distinguished from the other subsections. The systematic and biological implications of the nutlet characteristics are shortly discussed.