Lophiolepis (=Cirsium Epitrachys seksiyonu) cinsine ait Türkiye’den yeni bir melez kaydı (Asteraceae, Carduinae)

Abstract

Lophiolepis Cass., belonging to the tribe Cardueae of the family Asteraceae (subtribe Carduinae) is newly separated from the genus Cirsium Miller in the light of recent molecular studies. It has a high affinity to form interspecific and intersubspecific hybrids under certain circumstances. In the present study, one hybrid combination, Lophiolepis x trifurca (Petr.) Bureš, Del Guacchio, Iamonico &P. Caputo which was previously described as Cirsium x trifurcum Petrak by Petrak in 1914 is newly recorded for Turkish Flora. The hybrid specimens have intermediate characters with parental species; Lophiolepis kosmelii (Adams) Bureš, Del Guacchio, Iamonico & P. Caputo and L. caucasica (Adams) Bureš, Del Guacchio, Iamonico & P. Caputo. Plant samples including parental species were collected from Şavşat district of Artvin province in sympatric populations. These specimens were carefully examined and compared with the putative parents, and morphological character measurements of hybrid plants, as well as parental species were carried out. The samples’ natural habits were photographed, cauline leaf drawings were supplied using a stereomicroscope, leaf micromorphological characters were determined and anatomical characteristics were compared with parents, in detail. In conclusion, intermediate morphological characteristics between L. x trifurca and its parents were determined in terms of features such as cauline leaves, phyllaries, capitula and corolla. It has spines on adaxial sides, and uniseriate multicellular tomentose trichomes in abaxial ones. Cuticle has striate appearance near to the stomata/ trichome bases in the abaxial surface and scale/granules are shown in adaxial parts. This taxon has amphistomatic leaves and dorsiventral mesophyll as in the parental species.