Investigations on anatomical and morphological characteristics of some Crocus L. taxa around Abant Lake

Abstract

In this study; the two Crocus L. taxa endemic to Bolu province, Crocus abantensis T. Baytop et Mathew and Crocus× paulineae Pasche & Kerndorff (hybrid) together with C. ancyrensis (Herbert) Maw subsp. ancyrensis, and C. olivieri J.Gay, were used to reveal their detailed leaf anatomical features. In view of these characteristics, it was aimed to determine the true parents of the hybrid and possible other hybrid taxa distributed in the south-southeast coasts Abant Lake. These two Crocus taxa, which are endemic to this region, have no previous anatomical studies. In this sense, deficiencies related to Crocus taxonomy have been completed. The main differences of C. × paulineae from the other taxa; having the thickest cuticle (3.80 µm), the longest parenchyma (20.93 µm) cell in the mesophyll, and having papillae like structure on the keel corners of cuticle. This structure was also observed in C. olivieri over the cuticle at the corners of the keel. The other important differences was the number of small vascular bundles among the studied taxa. The chromosomal number of hybrid was also given for the first time.