Morphology, anatomy, palynology, mericarp and trichome micromorphology of the rediscovered Turkish endemic Salvia quezelii (Lamiaceae) and their taxonomic implications

Abstract

Salvia quezelii is a very little known local endemic species from Turkey. Since 2005, our revisional studies on the genus in Turkey have been shown that previously known two localities of the species including type locality are wrong, and the species has not been collected since 1970. In this study, the type locality of the species is amended and morphological description of the species is amplified and expanded based on large number of specimens. The anatomy, palynology, myxocarpy, mericarp micromorphology and distribution of the trichomes on the aerial parts of S. quezelii are studied for the first time to understand the usefulness of these characteristics for systematic purposes. Morphological characteristics of leaves, calyces, corollas and types of stamens are useful for sectional and specific delimitation in Salvia. Anatomical characters such as number of ray rows in roots, distance between vascular bundles in stems, mesophyll structures in leaves, shape of mid-rib and presence/absence of sclerenchymatic tissue in petioles provide information of taxonomical significance. Scanning electron microscopy studies on the pollen grains have revealed that they are oblate-spheroidal to prolate-spheroidal and their exine ornamentation is reticulate–perforate. Mericarps are broadly ovate to rotund, and surface sculpturing pattern is verrucate or slightly reticulate. Three main types of trichomes were observed on the stem, inflorescence axis, leaf and calyx surfaces of S. quezelii with very high diversity. They are peltate, capitate glandular and non-glandular. Capitate glandular and non-glandular trichomes were further subdivided into several kinds. Glandular trichomes are present in abundance on all vegetative parts, particularly in inflorescence axis.