Orchidaceae is the largest flowering plant family in
the world
and holds significant importance in terms of biological diversity.
Many of the species are found in endemic regions, serving as important
indicators for the conservation of biological diversity. Therefore,
research on the morphology, seed and embryo structures, chemical composition,
and taxonomy of orchids is crucial for species conservation, habitat
restoration, and the sustainability of natural habitats. This research
involves comparing the morphometric and chemical contents of seeds
belonging to certain Ophrys L. species and examining
interspecies relationships. The micromorphological features of the
seeds were analyzed by using light microscopy and scanning electron
microscopy (SEM), while their chemical contents were compared by using
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. Seed and
embryo morphology, morphometric analysis, and seed coat chemistry
hold diagnostic significance. In species of the Ophrys genus, features like anticlinal wall structure and periclinal wall
reticulation are considered weak taxonomic characters. FT-IR analysis
identifies specific chemical groups in orchid samples, revealing significant
differences in absorbance values and chemical compositions among the
different orchid species. Particularly, Ophrys lycia (Lycian Kaş Orchid) shows distinct separation from closely
related species at peak points such as 2917 and 2850, 1743, 1515,
1240, and 1031 cm–1. Common peak points in the fingerprint
region (1200– 700 cm–1) indicate similarity
between O. apifera and O. reinholdii subsp. reinholdii. O. ferrum-equinum, O. mammosa subsp. mammosa, O. fusca subsp. leucadica, O. reinholdii subsp. reinholdii, and O. iricolor exhibit similar absorbance values in the range of 1500–1000
cm–1. These results provide valuable preliminary
information about the structure of orchid seed coats, reticulation
presence and pattern, chemical profiles, distribution, and dormancy-germination
processes.