Morphology, anatomy and karyology of endangered Turkish endemic Physoptychis haussknechtii Bornm. (Brassicaceae) from Central Anatolia

In this study, the morphology, anatomy, pollen morphology, leaf and seed micromorphology and karyology of the Turkish endangered endemic Physoptychis haussknechtii were investigated in detail for the fi rst time. The species was studied in terms of detailed morphology. Basal leaves are narrowly spatulate and cauline leaves are linear to oblanceolate; both leaves are covered with fl attened stalked fi ve-armed trichomes. Raceme length was found to be up to 6 cm and 9 cm in the fl owering and fruiting stages, respectively. Sepals are linear-oblong, rarely elliptic with obtuse to subacute apex. Petals are spatulate with emarginate apex. Some morphological characteristics such as dimensions of cauline leaves and ovary and length of pistil were measured for the fi rst time. In an anatomical study, root, stem, basal leaf and cauline leaf were examined. The anatomical results showed that the plants have secondary growth in roots, primary growth in stems, amphistomatic and equifacial basal and cauline leaves with anisocytic stomata. Pollen grains are radial symmetrical, isopolar and tricolpate. The ratio of polar axis to equatorial diameter is 1.16, and pollen shape is subprolate. Exine sculpturing is reticulate under light microscope and scanning electron microscope. Seeds are obovatesuborbicular, compressed and pale brown. The chromosome number of P. haussknechtii was defi ned to be 2n=16. The karyotype formula of P. haussknechtii consists of fi ve metacentric chromosome pairs and three submetacentric chromosome pairs.