Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia
EEB
Hard copy: ISSN 1691–8088
On-line: ISSN 2255–9582
Environ Exp Biol (2015) 13: 123–131
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Environmental and
Experimental
Biology

Environ Exp Biol (2015) 13: 123–131

Original paper

Use of anatomical characteristics for taxonomical study of some Iranian Linum taxa

Seyed Mehdi Talebi1,*, Maryam Rashnou-Taei2, Masoud Sheidai2, Zahra Noormohammadi3
1Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Arak University, Arak, 38156-8-8349 Iran
2Faculty of Biological Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
3Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Tehran Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
*Corresponding author, E-mail: Seyedmehdi_Talebi@yahoo.com

Abstract

Linum is considered as the largest genus of Linaceae family, containing more than 180 species. The wide range of diversity within the genus Linum continues to challenge its taxonomical investigations. In present study anatomical features of vegetative organs, stem and leaf, of fourteen species, subspecies or varieties of three sections, were described with aim to improve the infrageneric classification of this genus. Plant samples were collected from natural populations of the studied taxa during 2011 – 2012. Embedded materials were used for microscopic investigation. Transverse hand sections of the lamina and stem were made from the middle part of fully-grown leaves and stems. Forty five qualitative and quantitative anatomical characteristics were examined in both stem and leaf. Principal Correspondence Analysis (PCA) of stem and leaf anatomical traits showed that some of these features were the most variable traits among the studied taxa. Analysis of variance showed significant differences for many of quantitative characteristics between taxons. A PCA biplot of anatomical features showed that some of the studied taxa had stable anatomical traits, which was confirmed by box and whisker plots. Cluster analysis of the studied taxa using the Unweighted Paired Group using Average method tree, as well as PCA and Principal Coordinate Analysis plots did not conform to the species classification in the traditional sections in references such as Flora Iranica and Flora of Iran and, with the exception of section Syllinum, the members of the other taxa did not occur together. Our results suggested that stem and leaf anatomical features were useful for infrageneric classification of the genus Linum.

Key words: anatomy, leaf, Linum, Iran, stem, taxonomy.

 
Environ Exp Biol (2015) 13: 123–131
 DOI: http://doi.org/10.22364/eeb
EEB

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Prof. Gederts Ievinsh
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University of Latvia

 
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