Comparative Seed Morphology of Eight Allium L. Species from Sections Codonoprasum and Scorodon
Özge Vatandaşlar, Mine KoçyiğitObjective: The Allium L. genus is one of the largest species of sectoral importance due to its consumption as food and its medical importance. For this reason, different characters are used to solve taxonomic problems and clearly identify species. One of these characteristics is the micromorphological characteristics of the seed.
Materials and Methods: Light microscopy was used to examine the size and maturity of the seeds, and their micromorphology was studied using an FEI Quanta 450 FEG-EDS scanning electron microscope (SEM) at Istanbul University, Faculty of Science Department of Physics Nano- and Optoelectronics Research Laboratories. Twelve characteristics were determined on the seed surfaces of the examined eight Allium species. Cluster analysis was performed on these characteristics using Jaccard similarity analysis with PAST 1.81.
Conclusion: Micromorphological traits, such as surface texture, cell shape, and seed testa patterns, can provide valuable information for identifying species and understanding taxonomic and evolutionary relationships. In the context of Allium, these traits can be particularly useful because they often exhibit significant variation among species and are stable and characteristic enough to serve as reliable taxonomic markers. By analyzing these micromorphological features, it is possible to gain insight into the evolutionary history and relationships of different taxa within the species.