Leaf micromorphological and anatomical characteristics of some taxa belong to the subtribes arctiinae garcia-jacas & susanna, centaureinae dumort. and echinopsinae cass. ex dumort (asteraceae)

The tribe Cardueae belonging to the family Asteraceae was divided 12 subtribes. In this investigations, leaf micromorphological and anatomical characteristics of 10 taxa (Arctium lappa subsp. platylepis, A. minus, Callicephalus nitens, Carthamus lanatus, Centaurea armena, C. rhizantha, C. urvillei subsp. armata, Psephellus dealbatus, Psephellus straminicephalus ve Echinops pungens) belonging to the subtribes Arctiinae, Centaureinae and Echinopsinae were examined by using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and light microscope (LM), in detail. This study was carried out on specimens from the Eastern Black Sea Region between 2013 and 2023, some of which were obtained from previous studies and some of which were taken directly from the field. Micromorphological and anatomical investigations were carried out using mature leaves obtained from herbarium materials of the taxa or field samples. The micromorphological characteristics of all taxa and the anatomical features of 9 taxa except Carthamus lanatus were revealed for the first time in this study. According to surface ornamentation, taxa were ruminate, rugulose, sulcate, striate or smooth. Simple hairs of different densities were observed in all taxa and capitate and/or clavate glandular hairs were observed in 7 taxa. Anatomical examination revealed that epidermis cells of Callicephalus nitens had raphite crystals unlike other taxa, five taxa had dorsiventral mesophyll, five had isobilateral mesophyll and all taxa had amphistomatic leaves. It was determined that all 7 Centaureinae taxa contained between 1-4 glandular ducts, two Arctinnae taxa did not contain glandular ducts but carried glandular material in the large parenchyma contents around the conduction bundles, and E. pungens belonging to the subtribe Echinopsinae did not contain any glandular ducts or glandular material. Additional bundles ranging from 1-8 were observed in the midrib of all taxa. Stomata were of anomocytic or anisocytic type and the highest values in terms of the stomata per mm2 and stomatal indices were found on the upper surface of Callicephalus nitens in and Centaurea armena.