Number Of Carpels Research Articles

Floral morphology and development reveal extreme diversification in some species of Croton (Euphorbiaceae).

Floral diversity of Croton, the second largest genus in Euphorbiaceae, is currently under-explored. Several clades demonstrate an unusual floral morphology, e.g., lower or higher stamen number, bilateral symmetry and reduced ovary, but have never been investigated in a comparative study with typical Croton. This study examined morphology and ontogeny of flowers in nine Croton species from different clades within the genus with light and scanning microscopy, resin sectioning and micro-computed tomography. In staminate flowers, great variations of stamen number and arrangement are observed. The ancestral androecium likely consisted of two or more whorls with the outermost antepetalous stamen whorl developing centrifugally. Modification by reduction of the antepetalous whorl resulted in an outer alternipetalous stamen whorl in Croton section Moacroton, subgenus Quadrilobi. Several species in the subgenus Geiseleria show an independent reduction of stamen numbers by absence of a centrifugal development with the antepetalous whorl the first whorl to develop. Petal losses are observed in the distantly related C. setiger and C. dioicus. Chaotic stamen arrangement is found in C. celtidifolius (subgenus Adenophylli) as a result of a secondary stamen increase. In pistillate flowers, reduction of carpel numbers happened three times in the subgenus Geiseleria. C. monanthogynus has a bicarpellate ovary, while in C. setiger and C. michauxii the ovary is monocarpellate. Reduction of carpel number is linked with merism change and perianth reduction. The ovary in C. michauxii has basal placentation which is unique among all Croton. Moreover, strong bilateral sepals and nectaries are observed in species from section Julocroton. Therefore, the floral diversity of some species in the genus Croton could be explained by developmental modification of an ancestral form via reduction, rearrangement of stamen whorls, and symmetry shifts.

CLAVATA3 Signaling Buffers Arabidopsis Shoot Apical Meristem Activity in Response to Photoperiod.

Land plants grow throughout their life cycle via the continuous activity of stem cell reservoirs contained within their apical meristems. The shoot apical meristem (SAM) of Arabidopsis and other land plants responds to a variety of environmental cues, yet little is known about the response of meristems to seasonal changes in day length, or photoperiod. Here, the vegetative and reproductive growth of Arabidopsis wild-type and clavata3 (clv3) plants in different photoperiod conditions was analyzed. It was found that SAM size in wild-type Arabidopsis plants grown in long-day (LD) conditions gradually increased from embryonic to reproductive development. clv3 plants produced significantly more leaves as well as larger inflorescence meristems and more floral buds than wild-type plants in LD and short-day (SD) conditions, demonstrating that CLV3 signaling limits vegetative and inflorescence meristem activity in both photoperiods. The clv3 phenotypes were more severe in SDs, indicating a greater requirement for CLV3 restriction of SAM function when the days are short. In contrast, clv3 floral meristem size and carpel number were unchanged between LD and SD conditions, which shows that the photoperiod does not affect the regulation of floral meristem activity through the CLV3 pathway. This study reveals that CLV3 signaling specifically restricts vegetative and inflorescence meristem activity in both LD and SD photoperiods but plays a more prominent role during short days.

Morphological and anatomical studies in Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae)

This research delves into the morphological and anatomical intricacies of Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae), commonly known as black cumin, through meticulous examination of various accessions collected from diverse geographical regions in India. Morphological studies revealed distinct characteristics such as the linear to lanceolate alternate leaves, black capsule fruit housing seeds, and growth parameters including germination time, maturation period, and yield per plant. Notably, certain accessions exhibited superior attributes in terms of plant height, root length, and seed yield. Anatomical investigations unveiled detailed structures of stems, roots, seeds, and capsules. Stem anatomy exhibited a multi-cornered structure with specific features like uniseriate epidermis with non-glandular trichomes, parenchymatous cortex with chlorenchymatous and sclerenchymatous cells, and distinct vascular bundle arrangements. Root anatomy depicted a circular cross-section with well-defined layers including epidermis, cortex, and xylem with prominent oil droplets. Seed anatomy displayed layers of epidermis, parenchyma, pigmented layer, endosperm, and a central embryo. Moreover, this study identified novel cells in the stem cortex and observed variability in carpel numbers among different accessions. The findings contribute significantly to the understanding of N. sativa morphology and anatomy, shedding light on previously unexplored aspects and emphasizing the need for further investigation into the variability within and among accessions.

Novel Allelic Gene Variations in CmCLAVATA3 (CmCLV3) Were Identified in a Genetic Population of Melon (Cucumis melo L.).

Carpel number (CN) is an important trait affecting the fruit size and shape of melon, which plays a crucial role in determining the overall appearance and market value. A unique non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in CmCLAVATA3 (CmCLV3) is responsible for the variation of CN in C. melo ssp. agrestis (hereafter agrestis), but it has been unclear in C. melo ssp. melo (hereafter melo). In this study, one major locus controlling the polymorphism of 5-CN (multi-CN) and 3-CN (normal-CN) in melo was identified using bulked segregant analysis (BSA-seq). This locus was then fine-mapped to an interval of 1.8 Mb on chromosome 12 using a segregating population containing 1451 progeny. CmCLV3 is still present in the candidate region. A new allele of CmCLV3, which contains five other nucleotide polymorphisms, including a non-synonymous SNP in coding sequence (CDS), except the SNP reported in agrestis, was identified in melo. A cis-trans test confirmed that the candidate gene, CmCLV3, contributes to the variation of CNs in melo. The qRT-PCR results indicate that there is no significant difference in the expression level of CmCLV3 in the apical stem between the multi-CN plants and the normal-CN plants. Overall, this study provides a genetic resource for melon fruit development research and molecular breeding. Additionally, it suggests that melo has undergone similar genetic selection but evolved into an independent allele.

Description of The Phenotypic Characteristics of Some Tomato Genotypes

This study was carried out in order to determine some morphological characteristics of 240 tomato genotypes at S2 level and to demonstrate the usability of these materials in breeding programs. Accordingly, the average fruit weight was between 553.11 gr and 74.83 gr. The mean pericarp thickness, carpel number, and soluble dry matter content of the genotypes were 7.38 mm, 3.6 pieces and 4.04% brix, respectively. Based on these measurements and observations, tomato genotypes were also investigated using the Cluster and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) methods. According to the PCA results, the first component explained 24.1% of the total variance, and the number of fruit carpels, average fruit weight, and fruit width were the most highly explained parameters. The second and third main components constituted 13.06% and 11.16% of the total. Based on the results of fruit characterization studies, genotypes 233, 447, 126, 22, 391, 118, 71, 100, 340, 102 were determined as superior. Overall, A high degree of morphological variation was detected among the characterized tomato genotypes.

A nanopore-based cucumber genome assembly reveals structural variations at two QTLs controlling hypocotyl elongation.

The Xishuangbanna (XIS) cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. xishuangbannanesis) is a semiwild variety that has many distinct agronomic traits. Here, long reads generated by Nanopore sequencing technology helped assembling a high-quality genome (contig N50 = 8.7 Mb) of landrace XIS49. A total of 10,036 structural/sequence variations (SVs) were identified when comparing with Chinese Long (CL), and known SVs controlling spines, tubercles, and carpel number were confirmed in XIS49 genome. Two QTLs of hypocotyl elongation under low light, SH3.1 and SH6.1, were fine-mapped using introgression lines (donor parent, XIS49; recurrent parent, CL). SH3.1 encodes a red-light receptor Phytochrome B (PhyB, CsaV3_3G015190). A ∼4 kb region with large deletion and highly divergent regions (HDRs) were identified in the promoter of the PhyB gene in XIS49. Loss of function of this PhyB caused a super-long hypocotyl phenotype. SH6.1 encodes a CCCH-type zinc finger protein FRIGIDA-ESSENTIAL LIKE (FEL, CsaV3_6G050300). FEL negatively regulated hypocotyl elongation but it was transcriptionally suppressed by long terminal repeats retrotransposon insertion in CL cucumber. Mechanistically, FEL physically binds to the promoter of CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1a (COP1a), regulating the expression of COP1a and the downstream hypocotyl elongation. These above results demonstrate the genetic mechanism of cucumber hypocotyl elongation under low light.

Extreme restructuring of cis-regulatory regions controlling a deeply conserved plant stem cell regulator.

A striking paradox is that genes with conserved protein sequence, function and expression pattern over deep time often exhibit extremely divergent cis-regulatory sequences. It remains unclear how such drastic cis-regulatory evolution across species allows preservation of gene function, and to what extent these differences influence how cis-regulatory variation arising within species impacts phenotypic change. Here, we investigated these questions using a plant stem cell regulator conserved in expression pattern and function over ~125 million years. Using in-vivo genome editing in two distantly related models, Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), we generated over 70 deletion alleles in the upstream and downstream regions of the stem cell repressor gene CLAVATA3 (CLV3) and compared their individual and combined effects on a shared phenotype, the number of carpels that make fruits. We found that sequences upstream of tomato CLV3 are highly sensitive to even small perturbations compared to its downstream region. In contrast, Arabidopsis CLV3 function is tolerant to severe disruptions both upstream and downstream of the coding sequence. Combining upstream and downstream deletions also revealed a different regulatory outcome. Whereas phenotypic enhancement from adding downstream mutations was predominantly weak and additive in tomato, mutating both regions of Arabidopsis CLV3 caused substantial and synergistic effects, demonstrating distinct distribution and redundancy of functional cis-regulatory sequences. Our results demonstrate remarkable malleability in cis-regulatory structural organization of a deeply conserved plant stem cell regulator and suggest that major reconfiguration of cis-regulatory sequence space is a common yet cryptic evolutionary force altering genotype-to-phenotype relationships from regulatory variation in conserved genes. Finally, our findings underscore the need for lineage-specific dissection of the spatial architecture of cis-regulation to effectively engineer trait variation from conserved productivity genes in crops.

Transcriptome Analysis Identifies Downstream Genes of CLAVATA3 in Tomato

Fruit locule number is an important agronomic trait that affects fruit appearance, quality, and yield. CLAVATA3 (SlCLV3) is a candidate gene of the fasciated (fas) locus that plays a role in controlling the number of flower organs and fruit locules in tomato. The SlCLV3 encoding signal peptide mainly acts by inhibiting the expression of WUSCHEL (WUS) but there is little research about how the receptor transmits the CLV3 signal to WUS and inhibits its expression. The CRISPR/Cas9 method was employed to edit the first exon of tomato SlCLV3 in this study, leading to the functional deletion of SlCLV3. As a result, flowers with a high number of organs and fruits with a high number of locules were produced. We screened six candidate genes using the transcriptome of clv3 mutants, analyzed expression variations in these genes between the cultivated allele and wild-type allele of fas, and showed that only SlLET6 and SlGIF1 (GRF1-interacting factor 1) were influenced by the fas locus. SlLET6 overexpression resulted in an increase in flower carpels and fruit locules. These results suggest that SlLET6 may be the downstream gene of SlCLV3 regulating the number of carpels and fruit locules in tomato.

A SUPERMAN-like Gene Controls the Locule Number of Tomato Fruit.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits are derived from fertilized ovaries formed during flower development. Thus, fruit morphology is tightly linked to carpel number and identity. The SUPERMAN (SUP) gene is a key transcription repressor to define the stamen-carpel boundary and to control floral meristem determinacy. Despite SUP functions having been characterized in a few plant species, its functions have not yet been explored in tomato. In this study, we identified and characterized a fascinated and multi-locule fruit (fmf) mutant in Solanum pimpinellifolium background harboring a nonsense mutation in the coding sequence of a zinc finger gene orthologous to SUP. The fmf mutant produces supersex flowers containing increased numbers of stamens and carpels and sets malformed seedless fruits with complete flowers frequently formed on the distal end. fmf alleles in cultivated tomato background created by CRISPR-Cas9 showed similar floral and fruit phenotypes. Our results provide insight into the functional conservation and diversification of SUP members in different species. We also speculate the FMF gene may be a potential target for yield improvement in tomato by genetic engineering.

Can Miconia Ruiz & Pavón fruit anatomical characters have taxonomic usefulness in the genus?

Miconia Ruiz & Pavón is currently recognized as a single genus belonging to the Miconieae tribe, whose taxonomic position is in urgent need of new multidisciplinary studies, including the anatomical investigation of fruits and seeds. Our study investigated the structural ontogeny of fruits and seeds of six species of Miconia, from the floral phase. Flowers and developing fruits were obtained from specimens collected in a state park in Paraná, Brazil, and from herbarium specimens. The samples were sectioned in a rotation microtome and analyzed in a light microscope. All species bear berry-subtype pomaceous fruits that originate from inferior or semi-inferior ovaries. The pericarp is fleshy parenchymatous with sclereid idioblasts. The seeds come from anatropous ovules, are testal and exhibit variation in the position of the mechanical cell layer within the testa. Taxonomically consistent features were found, such as position of the ovary and carpel number (inferior or semi-inferior/3 or 4 carpels), exocarp indumentum, mesocarp structure (tissue region), pomaceous fruit with hypanthium totally or partially adnate to the ovary wall, type of seed (exotestal, exomesotestal and mesoendotestal) and sclereid composition of the mechanical layer.

Influence of Suboptimal Temperature on Flower Quality and Floral Organ Development in Spray-Type Cut Rose ‘Pink Shine’

Low temperatures commonly delay flowering in cut roses but enhance final flower quality, i.e., biomass, petal doubling, and flower size. However, this information remains unclear for spray-type cut roses. This study was conducted to understand the effect of suboptimal temperatures on flower quality in the spray-type cut rose ‘Pink Shine.’ The 6-month-old rooted cuttings were cultivated in environmentally controlled growth chambers at four temperature levels: 25/20 °C (optimal temperature, OT) and 20/20 °C, 20/15 °C, and 15/15 °C (suboptimal temperatures, SOTs). As expected, SOTs significantly delayed the flowering time (11.2–25 days) but enhanced flower quality, with 51% and 160% increases in flower size and biomass, respectively. SOTs did not statistically amplify petal numbers, as expected, compared with OT. Instead, SOTs significantly increased stamen and carpel numbers by 1.3 and 2 times, respectively, resulting in a 1.4-fold increase in total floral organ formation. Moreover, SOTs increased the mRNA levels of A-function genes (RhAP1** and RhFUL**) and C-function genes (RhSHP*) but suppressed the B-function gene (RhPI*), which is linked to the development of plant reproductive structures (stamen and carpel) in spray-type cut roses. Conclusively, the growth temperature was more effective for quantity accumulation than for the number of petals but was similar in carpels. These results suggest that SOTs enhance carpel differentiation during flowering, implying that flowers may choose a reproductive strategy through carpels over petals.

How do fertile stamens and staminodes go differently in Kingdonia uniflora? Evidence from stamen numbers, ontogeny, and structure

Kingdonia uniflora is in Circaeasteraceae and has fertile stamens and staminodes which are both variable in number; however, the differentiating process of these two types of stamens and the nectariferous structure of staminodes are still unclear. Variation in number and ontogeny (including the degeneration stage of staminodes) of stamens in K. uniflora are investigated under SEM, TEM and LM. The results indicate that there are 63 floral formulas in 80 flowers counted, and the most frequent flower floral formula (4 flowers) is P5A°11A5G6. The correlation between the stamen number and the total floral organ number is high (0.61), while the highest correlation with the total number of floral organs is the number of carpels, and there is a weak correlation between the two types of stamens (-0.23). The stamen development period is divided into five stages, with differentiation of stamens occurring at stage 2. The anther wall formation of fertile stamens is of the basic type, and the simultaneous meiosis form tetrahedral tetrads, while mature pollens are 2-celled and tricolpate. Sporogenous tissue of staminodes fails to develop further at an earlier stage, without the formation of secondary sporogenous cells. The head of mature staminodes has nectary tissue consisting of the secretory epidermis (two types of secretory cells), nectary parenchyma (about 15 layers) and vascular tissue with vessel and sieve tube elements. There are well-developed microchannels in epidermal cell walls, and the cells related to secreting nectar are rich in mitochondria, endoplasmic reticula and small vesicles. In addition, microsporogenesis, male gametophyte development, the secretory function of staminodes, and other characteristics in K. uniflora are similar to those in Ranunculaceae. This study clarifies the differentiating stage of fertile stamens and staminodes and explores the new structure (nectary) that staminodes formed, and also, it enriched the secretion modes in Ranunculales.

Ruppia mongolica (Ruppiaceae), a new species from Inner Mongolia (China), based on morphological and genetic data.

Ruppia mongolica Y. Zou & X.W. Xu, a new species from Inner Mongolia, China, is described and illustrated. The phylogenetic position of the new species within the genus was analyzed based on eight chloroplast DNA fragments and an ingroup sampling of all Eurasian species of Ruppia. The results showed that R. mongolica formed a separate branch between R. sinensis and the clade of R. maritima, R. brevipedunculata, R. drepanensis, and R. cirrhosa. Based on molecular and geographical evidence, our study reveals that R. mongolica is closely related to R. sinensis and R. brevipedunculata but differs from the former in the length and shape of the peduncle and seed size, and from the latter in the length of the peduncle, number of carpels per flower, and seed size. In addition, the karyotype analysis revealed that R. mongolica is octoploid, which is first reported within Ruppia, further supporting R. mongolica as a new species.

Une nouvelle espèce de Meryta J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. (Araliaceae) de l'archipel des Tuamotu en Polynésie française

A new species of Meryta (Araliaceae) from the Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia. A new species of Araliaceae, Meryta puruhi Butaud, J.Florence, Lowry & F.Tronchet, sp. nov., endemic to the raised atolls of Anaa and Niau in the Tuamotu archipelago, French Polynesia, is described. Based on floral and fruit morphology, it clearly belongs to Meryta sect. Meryta Harms, which has been circumscribed to include species whose female flowers and fruits are appressed at the base. It most closely resembles M. lanceolata J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. and M. raiateensis J.W.Moore from the Society archipelago, with which it shares a similar inflorescence structure and free, basally appressed ovaries. It can be distinguished by its leaf shape (obovate to spatulate in M. puruhi, sp. nov. vs lanceolate to oblong in M. lanceolata and M. raiateensis) and the number of carpels [(7-)8-11 in M. puruhi sp. nov. vs 4-6(-7) in the other species]. This new species, the sole representative of the genus in the Tuamotu group, is threatened in part of its range by urban development and by the disappearance of the single bird species that serves as a disseminator, and has been assessed as Endangered [EN] according to the IUCN Red List criteria.

SUPERMAN strikes again in legumes.

The SUPERMAN (SUP) gene was described in Arabidopsis thaliana over 30 years ago. SUP was classified as a cadastral gene required to maintain the boundaries between reproductive organs, thus controlling stamen and carpel number in flowers. We summarize the information on the characterization of SUP orthologs in plant species other than Arabidopsis, focusing on the findings for the MtSUP, the ortholog in the legume Medicago truncatula. M. truncatula has been widely used as a model system to study the distinctive developmental traits of this family of plants, such as the existence of compound inflorescence and complex floral development. MtSUP participates in the complex genetic network controlling these developmental processes in legumes, sharing conserved functions with SUP. However, transcriptional divergence between SUP and MtSUP provided context-specific novel functions for a SUPERMAN ortholog in a legume species. MtSUP controls the number of flowers per inflorescence and the number of petals, stamens and carpels regulating the determinacy of ephemeral meristems that are unique in legumes. Results obtained in M. truncatula provided new insights to the knowledge of compound inflorescence and flower development in legumes. Since legumes are valuable crop species worldwide, with high nutritional value and important roles in sustainable agriculture and food security, new information on the genetic control of their compound inflorescence and floral development could be used for plant breeding.

Fruit and seed evolution in angiosperms

Angiosperm fruit originates from the ovary of the flower or it develops from the ovary, besides of the carpels, other inflorescence or floral parts may be involved in fruit formation; seed originates from the ovule. Four major classes of fruits are distinguished in angiosperms, viz. multiple fruits, aggregate fruits, schizocarps and simple fruits. Multiple fruits originate from inflorescences; the aggregate fruit comes from a single flower with apocarpous, pluricarpellate and pluripistillate gynoecium; schizocarps originate only from the ovary of a single flower, when ripe can separate into fragments called mericarps; and the simple fruits either are commonly originated from the ovary of a single unipistillate unicarpellate flower or syncarpic pluricarpellate flower. The diversity of seeds is also great among angiosperms, with bitegmic or unitegmic seeds, and alate, arillate, operculate, endothelial, pachychalazal, hairy or sarcotestal seeds. Reflections on fruit evolution are, in fact, very general, selecting a few examples that are restricted to families and genera. Fruit evolution is fundamentally based on changes of gynoecium types and differentiation of the pericarp. Among the hypotheses formulated in the literature, one predicts two main lines of evolution: in the first, there must have been a progressive reduction in the number of carpels that led to monocarpy, thus giving rise to the simple follicle; the second line must have led to a syncarpy, initially a loose adnation, which may have given rise to the capsule. The literature dealing with seed evolution in angiosperm taxa is very vast, but almost always not conclusive.

Evaluation of the Possible Contribution of Various Regulatory Genes to Determination of Carpel Number as a Potential Mechanism for Optimal Agricultural Yield

Various regulatory genes encoding transcription factors and miRNAs regulate carpel number. Multicarpelly is normally associated with increased size of the floral meristem, and several genetic factors have been discovered that influence this characteristic. A fundamental understanding of the regulatory genes affecting carpel number can facilitate strategies for agricultural yield improvement, which is crucial, given that the global population is growing rapidly. A multicarpellate plant may provide a significantly higher yield than a plant bearing fewer carpels. Higher yields can be achieved via various means; in this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge of the various regulatory factors that contribute to multicarpelly and the potential of increasing carpel number to achieve an increased yield.

The influence of self-pollen deposition on female reproductive success in a self-incompatible plant, Akebia quinata.

Geitonogamy is inevitable in hermaphrodite and monecious. Even for self-incompatible species, the negative effects of self-pollen are unavoidable when geitonogamous or self-mating occurs. However, the influence of self-pollen on consecutive development of flowers (e.g., fruiting and seeding) was seldom evaluated. Here, the self-incompatible monecious species, Akebia quinata, was used to estimate the influence of self-pollen deposition. We evaluated the extent of pollen limitation and geitonogamous mating under natural conditions by count of stigmatic pollen load and pollen tracking experiment. Hand pollination with different amount and combinations of self vs. cross pollen grains was applied to detect the response of fruit and seed set. The results showed that geitonogamy and pollen limitation occurred under natural conditions in A. quinata. Carpel numbers, ratio of self- and cross-pollen, and the interactive effect of ratio of self- and cross-pollen and total mixed pollen numbers, and not total pollen grain number, determined the effect of self-pollen on female reproductive success. The effect of self-pollen depended on its intensity. In general, the transfer of self-pollen significantly affected young fruit set. However, a little self-pollen together with cross-pollen did not reduce young fruit production. Although self-incompatible plants have evolved physiological mechanisms that reduce self-fertilization, our results provide new insights into the effects of self-pollen and the adaptive significance of self-incompatible monecious species.

Correlation analysis of quantitative biological and morphological features of intersectional paeonia hybrids

The article presents data on the study of the biological and morphological characteristics of 13 varieties of Paeonia intersectional hybrids when introduced in the forest-steppe zone of the Bashkir Cis-Ural. The twelve quantitative traits (maximum height, maximum shoot thickness at the very top, number of branches from the base, leaf length at the first axillary bud, maximum leaf width at the first axillary bud, width of the lateral leaf segment, pedicel length, maximum pedicel thickness, flower diameter , the length of the longest perianth, the maximum width of the longest perianth, the number of carpels) and twenty one qualitative (the appearance of the plant, the main color of the leaf bud, the main color of the shoot during the budding period, waviness of the leaf edge, pubescence of the lower surface of the leaf, the main color of the leaf, petiole coloration, anthocyanin coloration of the leaf, main coloration of the pedicel, opening of the bud, the level of doubleness of the flower, position of the flower, coloration of the flower, type of coloration of the outer petals, main coloration of the pigment spot, aroma of the flower, main coloration of the filamentous filament, main coloration of anthers, the shape of the staminodial disc, the main coloration of the staminodial disc, the main coloration of the stigma) were analyzed. Their research was carried out in 2019-2021. The phenotypic variability of quantitative parameters was studied. High variability was found for the traits «number of branches from the base» and «number of carpels», low variability — for «flower diameter» and «length of the longest perianth leaflet». A positive average relationship was revealed between the flower diameter and the maximum width of the longest perianth leaflet (0,60), the maximum pedicle thickness and the number of carpels (0,62). A negative moderate relationship was noted between the leaf length at the first axillary bud and the maximum width of the longest perianth leaflet (−0,40). The revealed patterns are of interest for building a model of paeony varieties and using them in plant breeding.

Determination of Morphological Characteristics of Some Prominent Tomato Genotypes

This study was carried out to determine some morphological characteristics of 94 tomato genotypes at the S4 level and to reveal the relationships between these materials. In the study, leaf attitude, leaf length, leaf width, number of flowers, fruit color, fruit weight, fruit width, fruit length, the thickness of pericarp, fruit shape, fruit diameter, number of locules, and total soluble solid content (TTSC) were measured and observed in these genotypes. As a result of the phenotypic assessment, the maximum fruit weight values of the genotypes were observed as in G9 (317.59 g), G54 (310 g), G92 (292.85 g), G70 (287.01 g), and G110 (276.66 g); and the lowest fruit weight values were observed in G26 (18.302 g) and G8 (14.48 g). Average fruit length, fruit width, pericarp thickness, and the number of carpels were recorded (69.09 mm, 56.90 mm, 6.37 mm, and 4 carpels respectively). Tomato genotypes were also investigated using Cluster and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method based on these measurements and observations. As a result of this analysis, five independent principal component axes were obtained. While these axes represent 69.28% of the total variation, the eigen values were ranged between 1.06 and 4.02. According to the PCA analysis results, genotypes G7, G81, G93, and G103 were prominent in terms of leaf length, fruit width, fruit weight, and carpel number parameters. Based on TSSC results, the G65 genotype was found to be the most prominent one, and the genotypes G12 and G114 exhibit promising results for fruit color. A high degree of morphological variation was detected among tomato genotypes.