A morphological and anatomical study of Lecokia cretica (Apiaceae)

Abstract

The family Apiaceae contains 47 monotypic genera in Turkey, one of them is the genus Lecokia DC. Lecokia is distributed from Syria, Cyprus to Iran. The species firstly collected from Crete by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort and named by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1829. The local names of this species are Ayi baldiran, Esek Baldirani and seeds are used as antihypertensive in Turkey. Lecokia cretica (Lam.) DC. is a rhizomatous perennial herb, basal leaves 2-3pinnate/ternate, segment eliptic, bracts and bracteoles linear, mericarp covered with forward-pointings hooks. L. cretica have prominent median and lateral ribs in the anatomy of mericarp. Intrajugal oil ducts are absent. There are 12-16 vittae which are localised close to the endocarp, the width of them is greater than the length. 10-14 oil ducts are on top of the sclerenchyma and 1-3 of them are beneath. Their width is a little greater than the length. The endosperm is concave and the hollow like a mushroom shape and endosperm contains numerous cluster crystals