Saponaria bargyliana Gombault (Caryophyllaceae): A New Record for Turkey and Analysis of Its Morphological Characters with Related Species

Previously, Saponaria bargyliana Gombault was known only from its type locality, the north of Syria in the Nosaïris mountains, which was published by Gombault in 1962. During a field trip in June 2002 to Erzin (Hatay) district, the species was collected for the second time from a new locality far from its locus classicus. Thus, this species was described as a new record for the flora of Turkey. The description of this species was expanded and its geographical distribution, habitat, flowering time and conservation status are discussed. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of Saponaria bargyliana and closely related species is discussed. Eleven quantitative characters were used in a linear discriminant analysis. In the discriminant analysis, the most useful characters for separating particular species were selected: seed number, calyx nerve number, coronal scale length, calyx teeth length and petal width. With these 5 most important characters, 100% of plants were correctly classified into the designated groups. The analysis showed that S. bargyliana, S. officinalis L. and S. glutinosa M.Bieb. are distinguished by the quantitative morphological characters. Calyx hair arrangement and the condition of the pedicel hairs are the most important qualitative characters in the identification of these species.

Saponaria bargyliana Gombault (Caryophyllaceae): A New Record for Turkey and Analysis of Its Morphological Characters with Related Species

Previously, Saponaria bargyliana Gombault was known only from its type locality, the north of Syria in the Nosaïris mountains, which was published by Gombault in 1962. During a field trip in June 2002 to Erzin (Hatay) district, the species was collected for the second time from a new locality far from its locus classicus. Thus, this species was described as a new record for the flora of Turkey. The description of this species was expanded and its geographical distribution, habitat, flowering time and conservation status are discussed. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of Saponaria bargyliana and closely related species is discussed. Eleven quantitative characters were used in a linear discriminant analysis. In the discriminant analysis, the most useful characters for separating particular species were selected: seed number, calyx nerve number, coronal scale length, calyx teeth length and petal width. With these 5 most important characters, 100% of plants were correctly classified into the designated groups. The analysis showed that S. bargyliana, S. officinalis L. and S. glutinosa M.Bieb. are distinguished by the quantitative morphological characters. Calyx hair arrangement and the condition of the pedicel hairs are the most important qualitative characters in the identification of these species.