Morpho-anatomical observations on Colchicum boissieri Orph. in

Abstract

In this study, the morpho-anatomical features of Colchicum boissieri Orph. were demonstrated. The morphological characteristics of the corm, leaf, flower, fruit and seeds were presented and the habitus of the species were given by photographs. Corm lengths, cataphyll color and length, leaf color, outer-inner tepal dimension (length x width), perigonium tube dimension, outer-inner filament (length) and anther (length), styles color, seed number, shape, dimension and color were determined. The corm of C. boissieri is soboliferous, occasionally tooth-like projections, vertical, soboles horizontal, 2.3-4.5 cm in length and 0.6-1.4 cm in width. The neck (collum) of the corm is 3-5.5 cm in length. The cataphyll is yellowish-white in color, 3-7.5 cm in length. Perigonium tube is 4.4-13 cm in length. The seeds are that wrinkled surface subglobose to globose in shape, yellowish-brown in color, and (1.3-) 1.4-1.9 mm in diameter. Anatomical characteristics of the corm, leaf, fruit and seeds were shown with photographs. Transverse sections from the middle portion of the corm, leaf, pericarp and seed testa were obtained. The upper and lower surface views of the leaf, pericarp and the seed testa were examined. Anatomical features of C. boissieri were discussed in this research for the first time. Anatomical features of C. boissieri are similar to some Colchicum. In the anatomical view of leaf, it has been determined that there are differences in the number of spongy parenchyma cell layers between the species. Testa of the seeds include epidermis, parenchyma and pigment layer cells. Key words: Colchicum, morphology, anatomy, soboliferous