Morphological and anatomical properties of some Delphinium L.(Ranunculaceae) taxa grown in Eskişehir and its environs

Delphinium Tourn.ex L. (Ranunculaceae) genus is popularly used as a root, tuber, herba, leaf, flower, seed, etc., in diseases such as asthma, cold, pneumonia, severe diarrhea, stomachache, and externally as a hair tonic and parasite killer. Besides these curative effects, Delphinium species have toxic effects especially due to the complex diterpenoid alkaloids they contain. In this study, Delphinium fissum Waldst.&Kit. subsp. anatolicum Chowdhuri&Davis , D. peregrinum L. and D. venulosum Boiss. were examined morphologically and anatomically. Morphological distinguishing characters of taxa are root type, stem color, indumentum, loose or dense inflorescence, petiole and segment shapes, color, shape and indumentum of lateral sepals and petals, anther color, fruit shape and indumentum. Starch grains observed in the tubers of D.fissum subsp.anatolicum were not observed in the other two species. While there are glabrous in the stem anatomy of the same taxon, D. peregrinum and D. venulosum have single-celled cover hairs on their stems. In leaf anatomy, D.fissum subsp.anatolicum has hypostomatic leaves, while leaves of other species are amphistomatic. Cuticle wrinkles observed on the upper and lower leaf surfaces of D.fissum subsp.anatolicum were not observed in the other two species. The upper and lower leaf epidermis of D.fissum subsp.anatolicum and the lower epidermis of D.peregrinum are wavy. The presence of calcium oxalate, lignin, suberin, starch, which are primary metabolism products of the relevant organs, and alkaloids and phenolic compounds, which are secondary metabolism products, have been shown. Anatomical studies carried out within these specified scopes were carried out for the first time. Keywords: Delphinium L., Morphology, Anatomy.