Murat Kurşat

Discovery of Thecaphora schwarzmaniana on Rheum ribes in Iran and Turkey: implications for the diversity and phylogeny of leaf smuts on rhubarbs

A leaf smut discovered on wild rhubarb Rheum ribes in Iran and Turkey is evaluated to identify the species. Based on morphological analyses using light and scanning electron microscopy and molecular phylogenetic analyses using ITS and LSU ribosomal DNA sequences, it is shown that the smut fungus belongs to Thecaphora schwarzmaniana, a rare species previously known on Rheum cordatum, R. lobatum, R. macrocarpum, and R. turkestanicum in some central Asian countries. This is the first documented case of Thecaphora schwarzmaniana on Rheum ribes and significantly expands the range of the species on the Asian continent. The ITS and LSU sequences of the Iranian and Turkish material differed from sequences of Thecaphora schwarzmaniana from Rheum palmatum from China. The re-study of the morphology of the respective specimen revealed morphological differences allowing the conclusion that Thecaphora on Rheum palmatum belongs to a distinct species. The new species is not described here due to the paucity of available material. Molecular phylogenetic analyses, based on ITS and LSU sequences, recovered Thecaphora on Rheum spp. in a clade including species on host plants from diverse unrelated families, indicating that multiple inter-family host jumps took place in the course of evolution of Thecaphora species. Vast similarity of ITS and LSU sequences of Thecaphora spp. on Rheum spp. point to their close relation suggesting that co-evolution could shape the diversification of Thecaphora species on Polygonaceae following an initial host jump from another host plant family.

Karyological studies on eight species of Onobrychis genus in Turkey

This study used karyological techniques to determine the chromosome numbers and morphology of eight species of Onobrychis L. (O. caput-galli (L.) Lam, O. aequidentata (Sibth. & Sm.) d’ Urv, O. fallax Freyn & Sint. var. fallax, O. lasiostachya Boiss, O. viciifolia Scop., O. oxyodonta Boiss. subsp. armena (Bois. & Huet) Aktoklu, O. hypargyrea Boiss. and O. cappadocica Boiss.). The results of this study determined the chromosome numbers of O. cappadocica as 2n = 16; O. viciifolia as 2n = 28 and the other species as 2n = 14 The karyotypes of species consisted of median-centromeric (m) or submedian-centromeric (sm) chromosomes. However, O. oxyodonta Boiss. subsp. armena (Bois. & Huet) Aktoklu was found to have only the median-centromeric (m) chromosomes. According to the results of the present study, of the eight Onobrychis taxa, only O. hypargyrea has a pair of satellite chromosomes (sat-chromosome). Furthermore, this study detected karyotype asymmetry.

New or rare data on chromosome numbers and karyomorphology of some taxa in the subgenus Seriphidium (Bess.) Rouy. (Artemisia, Asteraceae) in Turkey

Subgenus Seriphidium is one of the least karyologically studied groups in genus Artemisia. In this work, chromosome number and karyotypes of six taxa belonging to Seriphidium subgenus of genus Artemisia were investigated as detailed. Both chromosome number and karyological data of all taxa studied here were the first records from Turkey. Two of the taxa are new records to science (A. spicigera K. Koch. var. vanensis Kursat & Civelek var. nova and A. taurica Willd. var. pendulosa Kursat & Civelek var. nova) and another is a new record for the flora of Turkey (A. sieberi Bess. subsp. sieberi). All of the taxa studied except for A. spicigera K. Koch. var. spicigera were polyploid. Hypo-aneuploidy was observed in one taxon, A. santonicum L. subsp. santonicum with chromosome number 2n = 6x = 52. In addition, the simultaneous existence of B chromosome and aneusomy was recorded for A. taurica Willd. var. taurica, 2n = 4x = 36 + 0, 4B; 37 + 3, 4B.

Karyological reports for some Salvia taxa from Turkey

Abstract The aim of this study is to determine of the some karyological properties and chromosome numbers of eight Salvia taxa (S. euphratica var. euphratica, S. euphratica var. leicalycina, S. hypargeia, S. candidissima subsp. candidissima, S. frigida, S. virgata, S. suffruticosa, and S. verticillata subsp. verticillata) from Turkey. The ploidy levels, karyotype formula, chromosome length range, total karyotype length, several karyotype asymmetry values, Stebbins classification and the A1 and A2 were a determined in this study. Also, Pearson correlations between the karyotype asymmetries of the Salvia taxa were calculated and dispersion diagram was formed. It was determined that the Salvia taxa had 2n = 14, 18, 22 and 32. The basic chromosome number of x = 7 may be regarded as primary, the others (x = 9, 11, 16) are estimated to be secondary basis. Based on Stebbins classification, it was found that S. euphratica subsp. euphratica was 1A, S. hypergeia and S. suffruticosa were 3A and the other taxa were 2A. The taxa had median point (M), median (m), submedian (sm), subterminal (st) chromosomes. There were no observed satellites and B chromosomes in the studied taxa.

Türkiye’de Doğal Olarak Yetişen Artemisia L. (Asteraceae) Cinsine Ait Üç Türün Morfolojik Özellikleri Bakımından İncelenmesi

In this study, the morphologcal features of Artemisia haussknechtii Boiss., Artemisia splendens Willd. and Artemisia caucasica Willd. grown naturally in Turkey and very close to each others in point of systematics are investigated. All taxa of genus Artemisia L. grown naturally in Turkey are located three subgenus (Artemisia, Dracunculus ve Seriphidium). Three species in this study are located subgenus Artemisia Less.. It were determined some new morphological features and differences which are lead to expansion of their descriptions in the Flora of Turkey. The detailed figures of important morphological features of these species are given for better recognition of their.

Compositions of seed fatty acids in some Astragalus L. taxa from Turkey

Abstract Fatty acid composition in mature seeds of nine Astragalus L. taxa were determined by using gas chromatography. Present results indicated that the seed oils of studied taxa have palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1 n 9), linoleic acid (C18:2 n 6) and linolenic acid (C18:3 n 3) as major fatty acids. Palmitic acid composition of nine Astragalus was found between 8.5 ± 0.3415.8 ± 0.1%. Also, present study reported stearic acid (C18:0) contents of studied Astragalus are more stable (2.2 ± 0.16–3.4 ± 0.26%). The highest oleic acid (C18:1 n 9) content was found in A. christianus (41.7 ± 0.31 %) but it was found at the lowest level in A. asterias (9.1 ± 0.03 %). In addition, present study determined that investigated Astragalus species have highest linoleic acid (21.0 ± 0.31–39.4 ± 1.81%) and linolenic acid (18.9 ± 0.11–48.9 ± 0.5%) contents.