A morphological, anatomical and caryological study on Genus Plantago L. (Plantaginaceae), Section Coronopus DC. disturbed in West Anatolia

In this study, Plantago coronopus subsp. coronopus L., P. coronopus subsp. commutata (GUSS.) PILGER, P. crassifolia FORSSKAL, P. maritima L. ve P. holosteum SCOP. taxa which located in the Plantaginaceae family, Plantago L. genus, Coronopus DC. section in West Anatolia have been studied in point of morphological, anatomical, caryological features. Plant samples of taxa were collected natural area in West Anatolia. The roots, scapes, leaves and flowers of taxa were investigated in point of morphological. There are no any stem on the ground. There are scape instead of stem. The leaves are rosulate type. Scapes don't have any leaf. All of taxa have hair on corolla tubes and stomatas both side of leaves. Stomatas are diastic according to epidermis cells. All of stomata are amaryllis type. There are aglandular hairs on the scapes. Polens of taxa have pores between 5-9. Polens aperturs of taxa are polypentoporate. All taxa polens have radial symmetry and prolat sferoidal shape and pores with thick ring. Taxa spicas have densily flowers. There are bracts outer side of flowers, anterior sepals under the bracts and posterior sepals under the anterior sepals. There are corolla tube with aglandular hairs on center of flowers and 4 unified sepal on the corolla tubes with membranous structures. End portions of the petals are seperated. Taxa flowers are hermaphrodite. Stamens are adhered to corolla tubes. Ovaries are hypogyn. Taxa flowers have single pistil and fruits which are shaped as capsul. Bracts, anterior and posterior sepals have fleshy and green keels and membronous wings. As anatomicaly, there are cortex cells under the epidermis cells and aeranchymatic type spaces on cortex of roots of taxa. P.crassifolia and P.maritima taxa have 1-3- cell layered endodermic cells. P.crassifolia and P. maritima taxa have 1-2 and 2-3 cell layered cambium cells respectively in the root. Taxa have circular shape cross section of scape. There is a cuticle layer, single layered epidermis cells outer side of scape. Aglandular hairs, glandular hairs(very few) and stoma were observed between epidermis cells. Cortex are 4-7 cell layer in P. holosteum, 6-10 cell layer in P.coronopus subsp. commutata and 5-8 cell layer other three taxa. Cortex cells have chloroplasts. There is a continously vascular bundle in the scape of taxa. We observed collenchmatic cells in P.holosteum and sklerancymatic cells in other taxa surrounding of vascular bundle. Xylem cells have wide area in vascular bundle. Floem cells are compose litlle groups between xylem cells. There are no cambium cells in scape of taxa. P. crassifolia and P.holosteum have D shape cross section of leaves. There is a cuticle and stoma cells both side of leaves of taxa. Stoma cells are generaly same level with epidermis cells. P.crassifolia and P.maritima taxa have upper side level stoma cells too. Taxa leaves have very few glandular hairs, aglandular hairs, hair base cells. Adaxial epidermis cells have bigger size length than width in P.crassifolia leaves contrarily other taxa leaves adaxial epidermis cells. We observed 3-5 layer circular shape epidermis cells which has thicknes cell walls like collenchmatic cells abaxial side of central vascular bundle of leaves and apex of leaves of taxa without P.holosteum. Leaves of taxa are unifacial. There are sclerancymatic cells surrounding of xylem and floem cells adaxial and abaxial side of vascular bundle of leaves without P.holosteum. As caryologicaly, 4 taxa (P. coronopus subsp. coronopus, P. coronopus subsp. commutata, P. crassifolia and P. maritima) have tetraploid feature. These taxa have 2n = 4x = 20 chromosome number and x = 5 base number. P. holosteum have diploid feature and 2n = 2x= 12 chromosome number and x = 6 base number. All taxa have 3 different chromosome type as median (M), submedian (sm) and median region (m). We did not any satellit all taxa chromosomes. Results are pointed out by photographs, illustrations and tables