Wei WANG, Zeki AYTAÇ, Andrey ERST, Kunli XIANG, Cem VURAL, Tatyana SHEMETOVA

Seed morphology of the genus Astragalus L. from North Asia

Astragalus is one of the largest genera of angiosperms and a characteristic component of the steppes and mountains of North Asia. Here, we used scanning electron microscopy to investigate the seed morphology of 56 species of the genus from North Asia. In Astragalus, seed color varies from yellow–green, greenish brown, reddish brown to grayish brown. Seed shapes include reniform– globose, rombiform, and oblong–elliptical. Seed sizes vary from 1.25 × 0.88 mm to 4.94 × 3.29 mm. Anticlinal walls are straight, undulate, or slightly thickened, and the periclinal walls are aveolate, stellate, pectinate, or rugose. We recognized two main types of seed surface in the genus: reticulate (sect. Cystium, Uliginosi, and Heterodontus) and indistinct primary sculpture (sect. Caprini, Craccina, Alopecuroidei, Glycyphyllos, and Komaroviella). This study describes macro- and micromorphological characters of seeds that would be useful for studying systematics, taxonomy, and evolution within Astragalus in the future.

PDF

___

Barthlott W (1981). Epidermal and seed surface characters of plants: systematic applicability and some evolutionary aspect. Nord J Bot 1: 345-355.
Bayrakdar F, Aytaç Z, Suludere Z, Candan S (2010). Seed morphology of Ebenus L. species endemic to Turkey. Turk J Bot 34: 283-289.
Ekici М, Yüzbaşıoğlu D, Aytaç Z (2005). Morphology, pollen, seed structure and karyological study on Astragalus ovalis Boiss. and Balansa (sect. Ammodendron) in Turkey. International Journal of Botany 1: 74-78.
Engel T (1990). Dornenanatomie und Samenmikromorphologie der kleinasiatischen Vertreter der Gattung Astracantha Podl. Sowie der dornigen Arten der Gattung Astragalus L. (Fabaceae). In: Cramer J, editor. Dissertationes Botanic Band 151. Berlin, Germany: pp. 264-280 (in German).
Heywood VH (1971). Scanning Electron Microscopy. Systematic and Evolutionary Applications. London, UK: Academic Press.
Kaya A, Satıl F, Aslan M (2016). Seed morphology of the genus Hyoscyamus L. in Turkey and its systematic significance. Acta Microsc 25: 48-55.
Lock JM, Schrire BD (2005). Tribe Galegeae. In: Lewis G, Schrire B, Machinder B, Lock M, editors. Legumes of the World. England: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, pp. 475-481.
Lomonosova MN (2009). Morphology and ultrasculpture of the seed surface in the subfamily Suaedoideae (Chenopodiaceae). Botanical Journal 5: 736-744.
Nikolaevskaja TS, Petrova LR (1989). Struktura perikarpija zernovki i cvetkovyh cheshuj zlakov. Nauka p. 87 (in Russian).
Ovczinnikova SV (2007). Ultrasculpture of fruits in some genera of the tribes Eritrichieae (subtribe Eritrichiinae) and Trigonotideae (Boraginaceae). Botanical Journal 2: 228-240.
Podlech D, Zarre S (2013). A taxonomic revision of the genus Astragalus L. (Leguminosae) in the Old World, Vol. 1. Vienna, Austria: Natural History Museum, pp. 1-822.
Polhill RM (1981). Galegeae. In: Polhil RM, Raven PH, editors. Advances in legume systematics. Part 1. England: Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, pp. 357-363.
Shemetova TA (2014). Ultrasculpture of the seed surface of some species of the section Xiphidium Bunge genus Astragalus L. (Fabaceae). Turczaninowia 17: 154-164.
Svetlova AA (2008). Ultrasculpture of the seeds and anatomical structure of seed coat in species of different sections of the genus Linum (Linaceae). Botanical Journal 11: 1760-1771.
Tantawy M, Sayed F, Soad A, Ghalia T (2004). Seed exomorphic characters of some Brassicaceae (LM and SEM Study). Int j Agric Biol 1560: 821-830.
Vural C, Ekici M, Akan H (2008). Seed morphology and its systematic implication for genus Astragalus L. sections Onobrychoidei DC., Uliginosi Gray and Ornithopodium Bunge (Fabaceae). Plant Syst Evol 274: 255-263.