Abstract
Alnus Mill. is a problematic genus of Betulaceae, and there are several intrageneric classifications for the genus. Alnus species are widely distributed in the Hyrcanian forest of Iran, and different species with some intraspecific taxonomic ranks including subspecies and varieties have been reported from this country. We evaluate seed micromorphology characteristics of ten taxa using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy in the current study. The data were analyzed using SPSS and MVSP software. Results revealed that qualitative characteristics such as seed shape, surface sculpturing pattern, presence of indumentum, and its type vary among the studied taxa and have diagnostic value. However, seed color was nearly stable among the taxa. Besides, quantitative variables highly differed among the taxa. In the UPGMA tree, Alnus taxa were clustered into three groups, and these groups were supported by PCA and PCO plots. According to the PCA bi-plot, some taxa were characterized by the particular characteristic(s) that was useful for their identification. In some cases taxa clustering was similar to those of previous phylogenetic and morphological studies. Our findings revealed that seed morphology characteristics are a valuable taxonomical tool in identifying most Alnus taxa, except for A. glutinosa subspecies, which have similar seed morphology features in common.
Highlights
Alnus Mill. is a genus of Betulaceae which grows around the Northern Hemisphere and in the Andes mountains of the Southern Hemisphere
Longest and shortest seeds are observed in A. dolichocarpa and A. glutinosa subsp. glutinosa, respectively
The broadest and narrowest seeds are reported from A. orientalis and A. glutinosa subsp. antitaurica, respectively
Summary
Alnus Mill. is a genus of Betulaceae which grows around the Northern Hemisphere and in the Andes mountains of the Southern Hemisphere. According to some evaluations (Miki, 1997), fossil pollen grains of Alnus species have been reported from the late Cretaceous of western North America and Japan. In the Hyrcanian forests, the trees of this genus have many critical roles especially in forest rehabilitation. Like most of woody plants in Hyrcanian forests, there are many taxonomic problems concerning the recognition of Alnus species in Iran. During the long-term investigation in the most parts of Hyrcanian forests, several samples of Alnus taxa were collected from different locations. According to the previous investigations (Browicz, 1972; Mobayen, 1985), the genus in Iran comprises of two species: Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. Amini et Assadi and A. orientalis Decne., A. glutinosa subsp. Amini et Assadi and A. orientalis Decne., A. glutinosa subsp. glutinosa and A. glutinosa subsp. antitaurica Yalt. (Zare, Amini, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
