ABSTRACT
Silene L. from Caryophyllaceae, comprises about 92 species in Iran which 16 species have been recorded from North-East of Iran. In present research, seven Silene species and four subspecies from four sections from Khorassan Razavi Province in North-East of Iran identified using floral segments morphology e.g. shape of calyx’s denth, margin of calyx’s denth, paracorolla shape and micromorphological characters like seed coat and pollen ornamentation. The results demonstrated using above mentioned characters are very useful for exact identification of Silene species.
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DOI: 10.3923/rjes.2009.667.676
URL: https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=rjes.2009.667.676
INTRODUCTION
With about 700 species, the genus Silene L. is one of the largest and perhabs the best known of the family Caryophyllaceae. Silene from Caryophyllaceae family. Silenoideae subfamily (Melzheimer, 1988). This genus is distributed in the east of Meditrranea, central Asia, Italy, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Russia, England, Spain (Boissier, 1884; Komarov, 1936; Tutin, 1964; Zohary, 1966; Davis, 1967; Anzalone, 1982; Melzheimer, 1988). The most recent revision of Iranian Silene L. is that of . The 92 species and 14 subspecies from 20 sections for Iran have been recorded. 16 of those from eight sections distributed in North-East of Iran. This genus is important for having ecdysteroids, phyto- ecdysteroids, Saponin, tritrepens (Meng, 2001; Jurgens, 2002, 2004). In earlier taxonomical researches, Silene L. species have been identified on the basis of calyx shape, calyxs nerves, basal and cauline leaves shape (Ghazanfar, 1984; Yildiz, 2006a, b). To identify on the basis of these characters is very difficult because the species had transitional or all of above mentioned characters. In Silene species, the identification basis of floral segments morphological characters like paracorolla shape, calyxs denth shape, the margin of calyxs denth, shape of petals lobes and micromorphology of seed coat and pollen ornamentation is still need to investigate. So, studies carried out seven species and four subspecies from four sections in Khorassan Razavi Province in North-East of Iran. This research furthermore aims to identify exactly and to construct a useable key for studied species on the basis of seed coat and pollen ornamentation. Seed coat characterization has been firstly reported. There are some articles to mentioned on pollen ornamentation in sections Siphonomorpha and Auriculatae (Ghazanfar, 1984). Also, Moore et al. (1991) and Punt and Hoen (1995) studied the pollen of S. latifolia subsp. alba and S. noctiflora, respectively.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In May to June each year between 2005 and 2006, the herbarium materials at FUM H were intensively studied. Also, specimens of Silene were collected from Khorassan Razavi in North-East of Iran (Table 1).
Table 1: | The localities of studied Silene species |
The photos of type specimens from G, W and LINN herbariums observed and studied. Floral segments morphology were studied for identification of the species by stereo microscope and micromorphological study of seed coat and pollen ornamentation were studied by scanning electromicroscope. In the palynological study, the pollen were extracted from the anther and dehydrated by glacial acetic acid, then acetolised, finally studied by light microscope and scanning electromicroscope LEO1450VP. Erdtman (1952), Moore et al. (1991). The pollen terminology was adapted from Punt (Punt and Hoen, 1995; Punt et al., 2007). Finally two keys were prepared for Silene on the basis of seed coat and pollen ornamentation.
RESULTS
The Floral Segments Morphology and Micromorphology
The results showed Melandriformes, all of subspecies of S. latifolia had subulate to triangular calyxs denth with ciliolate margin, obovate petals lobes and fimbriate paracorolla but in S. noctiflora just were observed differences in ellipsodic paracorolla and broad rectangular lobes of petals. Also, one difference was observed in seed coat ornamentation. In Sclerocalycinae, both of species had triangular calyxs denth with narrow margin. In S. swertifolia paracorolla shape in all of species was ellipsodic. The petals shape were obovate in S. swertifolia while oblong obovate in S. bupleuroides. Seed coat ornamentation was observed circular in S. swertifolia and oblong dentate in S. bupleuroides. In Auriculatae, calyxs denth shape and margin of them, paracorolla shape and seed coat ornamentation were different. It sounds this was very variable. In S. conoidae from sect. Conoimorpha, special characters were different from another sections like; calyxs denth shape and margin, paracorolla shape and petals lobes.
Palynology
The pollen ornamentation were reticulate. Auriculatae and Melandriformes were scabrate-granulate in another sections.Tectum Melandriformes and Sclerocalycinae were semi-tectate but Conoimorpha and Auriculatae were tectate- imperforate. The results of floral segments morphology and seed coat, pollen micro morphology studies on Silene species have been showen in Table 2, Fig. 1a-j, 2a-g, 3a-g and 4a-j.
Fig. 1: | Drawing of floral segments. c. d: calyxs denth, p: petal, p. c: paracorolla. (a) S. latifolia subsp. alba, (b) S. latifolia subsp. eriocalycinae, © S. latifolia subsp. persica, (d) S. noctiflora, (e) S. conoidae, (f) S. swertifolia, (g) S. gertrauidae, (h) S. indeprensa, (I) S. bupleuroides subsp. bupleuroides, (j) S. bupleuroides subsp. ramosa |
Table 2: | The floral morphology and micromorphology characters of the studied Silene species |
Fig. 2: | Electromicrograph of seed coat (1000×) (a) S. latifolia, (b) S. noctiflora, (c) S. conoidea (d) S. swertifolia, (e) S. gertraudiae, (f) S. indeprensa, (g) S. bupleuroides |
Fig. 3: | Electromicrograph of pollen ornamentation (a) S. latifolia (10000x), (b) S. noctiflora 4000x) (c) S. conoidae (4000x), (d) S. swertifolia (4000x), (e) S. gertrauidae (4000x), (f) S. indeprensa (10000x) and (g) S. bupleuroides (10000x) |
Fig. 4: | The maps of distribution. The arrow showing Mashhad city. (a) S. bupleuroides subsp. bupleuroides, (b) S. bupleuroides subsp ramosa, (c) S . swertiifolia, (d) S. indeprensa . (e) S. gertrauidae. (f) S. noctiflora . (g) S. latifolia subsp. alba. (h) S. latifolia subsp. eriocalycinae, (i) S. latifolia subsp.persica, (j). S. conoidae |
DISCUSSION
Results of morphological and micromorphological studies of floral segments and seed coat usually showed the characters of each species different from each other which it is difficult to justify including within a single section on the basis of these characters. But using these characters help to identify exactly species. In the earlier pollen ornamentation studies on Auriculatae and Siphonomorpha, Ghazanfar explained ectexine is punctate, tubulifera/spinulosa in sect. Siphonomorph is but Auriculatae is punctate, reticulate, semi-tectate (Ghazanfar, 1984). Punt and Hoen also explained pollen ornamentation of S. noctiflora (Punt and Hoen, 1995; Punt et al., 2007). Another reports of pollen is related to S. behen L. S. gigantea L. var. gigantea by Yildiz (1996, 2001, 2006a, b). The present research showed, Auriculatae and Melandriformes are similar as semi- tectate, reticulate occassionally with microechinate above the muri. Sclerocalycinae and Conoimorpha are similar because having tectate and granulate pollen. So, species of each sections have similar pollen characters. Finally, we recommend using floral segments morphology and micromorphology study on seed coat and pollen ornamentation help to identify Silene species exactly.
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