Seed characters and testa sculptures of some Iranian Allium L. species (Alliaceae)

Abstract

Seed characters and testa sculptures of some Iranian Allium L. species (Alliaceae)With 20 Figures, 2 Tables and one Plate Summary Seeds taken from herbarium specimens of 20 Allium taxa were investigated. The seeds of all species were black ranging from 1.7 mm (A. lamondiae) to 4 mm (A. altissimum and A. stipitatum) in length and 1 mm (A. lamondiae) to 3 mm (A. altissimum) in width. So, A. lamondiae had the smallest and A. altissimum the largest seeds. In the mean, the members of subg. Melanocrommyum had somewhat larger and the species of sect. Avulsea somewhat smaller seeds than most species belonging to other groups. The shape was generally ovate or variants of it and showed only slight differences between members of different sections.The seed coat pattern was more variable. Most common were convex, granulate periclinal walls bearing several verrucae. Only A. borszczowii showed flat, densely granulate periclinal walls without verrucae, and A. bungei and A. joharchii had somewhat verruca-like aggregating grana. The majority of the species investigated showed S-like, rarely Omega-like, undulated anticlinal walls with variable wavelengths and amplitudes. The testa cells of A. joharchii showed transitions to straight anticlinal walls. More or less straight anticlinal walls in A. kopetdagense, A. paradoxum, A. barsczewskii, and A. scabriscapum were connected with the presence of a strip-like widened and transversally striated intercellular region covering these walls.The seed coat pattern of most species corresponded well to earlier reports of the same or closely related species, or was at least already reported for not related Allium species. Only A. borszczowii and A. monophyllum displayed testa types earlier not reported.

Taxonomic data supporting differences between Allium elmaliense and Allium cyrilli

“…Melanocrommyum were black, generally ovate and somewhat larger than those of most Allium species belonging to other groups, and the broadly ovate shape occurs only in this subgenus. The results of present study were similar to earlier studies Neshati & Fritsch 2009), and the seed shapes were ovate to broadly ovate in A. elmaliense and broadly ovate to long ovate in A. cyrilli. The details of the seed sizes and characters of epidermal cells are presented in Table 2.…”

“…For this purpose, seeds collected through field works were examined with SEM images and some differences were detected between the seed surfaces. Neshati & Fritsch (2009) reported that the seeds of the members of subg. Melanocrommyum were black, generally ovate and somewhat larger than those of most Allium species belonging to other groups, and the broadly ovate shape occurs only in this subgenus.…”

Morphological and molecular data reveal a new species of Allium (Amaryllidaceae) from SW Anatolia, Turkey

“…It is reported that the seeds of subg. Melanocrommyum are black, generally ovate and somewhat larger than those of most Allium species belonging to other groups (Neshati & Fritsch, 2009). Many species of subg.…”

“…Melanocrommyum share convex periclinal walls with verrucate sculptures and S-, U-and omega-like (Ω) undulated anticlinal walls. Transitions also occurred between these types , Neshati & Fritsch 2009, Celep et al 2012.…”

Cell Pattern and Ultrasculpture of Bulb Tunics of Selected Allium Species (Amaryllidaceae) and their Diagnostic Value

“…Many other characters are diagnostically important and commonly used in species descriptions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has greatly improved the taxonomy of the genus, facilitating studies of the ultrasculpture and ornamentation of the seed coat (Pastor, 1981;Kruse, 1984Kruse, , 1992Èešmedžiev and Terzijski, 1997;Fritsch et al, 2006;Neshati and Fritsch, 2009;Celep et al, 2012;Choi et al, 2012), pollen grains (Güler and Pehlivan, 2006;Namin et al, 2009), bulb coats (De Wilde-Duyfjes, 1976McNeal, 1982McNeal, , 1992Choi and Oh, 2011), floral structures and leaf epidermal cells (Garbari et al, 1979;Krahulec, 1980;Choi et al, 2004;Choi and Oh, 2011).…”