Anatomical, morphological and karyological studies on Thermopsis turcica (Fabaceae) Kit Tan, Vural and Küçüködük

In this study, morphological, anatomical and karyological properties of critically endangered (CR) Thermopsis turcica Kit Tan, Vural & Küçüködük distributed around Akşehir Lake (38° 30' N and 31° 18' E) and Eber Lake (38° 36' N and 31° 14' E) were investigated.The goal was to determine the taxonomic status of Thermopsis turcica by examining morphological, anatomical and karyological properties and to help prospective plant breeding, cytological and cytogenetic studies.In morphological studies, metric measurements were taken on root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit, petiole and seed of 20 specimens. Plants have 2-9 brown seeds with 3-4 carpels.In anatomical studies, cross sections were taken by microtom from root, stem and leaf. In these sections, large schizogen cavity in stem; rhizoderm, cambium and phloem sclerenchyma in root; isolateral, amphistomatic leaf, anomocytic stomata in leaf cross and surface sections were seen and micrometric measurements were also taken. Lower surface stomata index was 17.92 and upper surface stomata index was 15.10. The overall ratio of index was 0.843.In karyological studies, somatic chromosome number was found to be 2n=18. The mean min-max length values, the average length, and the arm ratio of chromosomes were 3.43-6.39 ?m, 1.97-3.68, 0.44-0.85, respectively.