Yaşar Kiran

Karyological notes on another eight species of Achillea (Asteraceae) from Turkey

The chromosome number and morphology in eight species of the sections Ptarmica (Mill.) W. D. J. Koch, Anthemoideae (DC.) Heimerl, Arthrolepis Boiss., Santolinoideae (DC.) Heimerl and Achillea of the genus Achillea L. (Asteraceae) were investigated using karyological techniques. Sample plants and seeds of A. biserrata M. Bieb., A. fraasii var. troiana Aschers. & Heimerl, A. multifida (DC.) Boiss., A. brachyphylla Boiss. & Hausskn., A. pseudaleppica Hub.-Mor., A. cretica L., A. latiloba Ledeb. ex Nordm., and A. kotschyi Boiss. subsp. kotschyi) were collected from natural habitats in 2003 and 2004. The chromosome number found in seven species was 2n = 18, while only A. kotschyi had 2n = 36. All chromosomes had median point (M), median region (m), and submedian (sm) centromers. In addition, only A. biserrata species had one subterminal (st) chromosome. An increase in asymmetry was not observed in the karyotypes of the species studied. None of the studied species had any B chromosomes.

Karyological investigation of six Achillea L. (Asteraceae) species growing in Turkey

The chromosome number and morphology in six species of the sections Babounya (DC.) O. Hoffm. and Achillea of the genus Achillea L. (Asteraceae) were investigated using karyological techniques. Sample plants and seeds of A. santolinoides Lag. subsp. wilhelmsii (K. Koch.) Greuter, A. falcata L., A. magnifica Hub. - Mor., A. pannonica Scheele, A. crithmifolia Waldst. & Kit. and A. nobilis L. subsp neilreichii (A. Kern.) Formánek were collected from natural habitats in 2005. The chromosome number found in six species was 2n = 18. All chromosomes had median point (M), median region (m), and submedian (sm) centromers. An increase in asymmetry was not observed in the karyotypes of the species studied. None of the studied species had any B chromosomes.

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.

Morphological, karyological and palynological investigation of endemic Centaurea kurdica Reichardt from Turkey

The purpose of this study was to determine the morphological, morphometrical, karyological and palynological features of the endemic Centaurea kurdica Reichardt species from East Anatolian region. Some morphological features of the species like morphology of capitula, involucra, involucral leaves (phyllaries) and achene have been investigated. The chromosome number of Centaurea kurdica was found as 2n = 18 and haploid karyotype formula 6m+2sm+1M. Metaphase chromosome length ranged from 5.81 to 3.91 μm and the total haploid chromosome length was 41.09 μm. The results of the light microscope investigation of pollen revealed that it is radially symmetrical, isopolar tricolporate and has spheroid-type pollen, and exine ornamentation was also determined as scabrate.

Karyological studies of eight Carduus L. (Asteraceae, Cardueae) taxa from Turkey

Abstract The somatic chromosome numbers and detailed morphometric properties of 18 specimens belonging to eight taxa (six species) of genus Carduus L. distributed in Turkey were examined. The somatic chromosome numbers were determined as 2n = 2x = 22 in C. olympicus Boiss. subsp. hypoleucus (Bornm.) P. H. Davis, C. tmoleus Boiss. subsp. tmoleus and C. acanthoides L. s.l.; 2n = 2x = 18 in C. candicans Waldst. & Kit. s.l. and 2n = 2x = 16 in C. nutans L. subsp. falcato-incurvus P. H. Davis (2798). In addition, tetraploid chromosome numbers (2n = 4x = 32) were also observed in C. nutans subsp. falcato-incurvus (2737) and C. onopordioides Fisch. ex M. Bieb. subsp. turcicus (Kazmi) P. H. Davis. Karyotype analysis indicated that chromosomes of Carduus taxa generally have median region (m) and submedian region (sm) karyotypes. A median point (M) karyotypes is found in C. acanthoides subsp. acanthoides (2728). Secondary structures and one to three pairs of satellite chromosomes (sat-chromosome) were observed in some of the examined specimens. The findings for each of the analysed taxa are compared with the results of previous studies. The chromosome number and morphology of C. olympicus subsp. hypoleucus, C. nutans subsp. falcato-incurvus, C. onopordioides subsp. turcicus, C. candicans subsp. globifer and C. acanthoides subsp. sintenisii are reported here for the first time.

Karyotype Analysis of Tulipa pulchella L. (Liliaceae) (Fenzl ex Regel) Baker

Tulipa L. is a member of Liliaceae, which was formerly treated as a large family, Liliaceae sensu lato. According to the recent phylogenetic studies, Liliaceae includes 15 genera (1-4). The highest diversity of the genus Tulipa is found in the Tien Shan and Pamir Alai mountain ranges in Central Asia. The genus extends from western China, Inner Mongolia and the western Himalaya throughout Central Asia and Iran to the Caucasus, the Balkans, Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, south to the Arabian Peninsula and southeastern Pakistan, and north to the Ukraine and southern Siberia. It extends westwards throughout North Africa to Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula (5). Although the genus is also found throughout the Mediterranean and most other parts of Europe, these regions are not part of the natural distribution of the genus. These tulip species were brought by merchants and travelers from Anatolia and Central Asia to Europe and escaped from cultivation into the wild where they naturalized (5-11). Tulipa comprises about 40 or more than 100 species throughout the world, and is widely used as an ornamental plant because of its very attractive flowers. Although European people first introduced Tulipa species with the gift from Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, a sultan of Ottoman Empire, to Emperor Ferdinand I in 1554–1562 today about 65% of the world’s cultivated tulips are produced in the Netherlands and the tulip has become a national symbol of this country (12-14). The genus has historically been subdivided into two subgenera, Tulipa (Leiostemones Boiss.) and Eriostemones Boiss., which are clearly distinguished by morphological characteristics (15). Tulipa is represented by 18 taxa in Anatolia and these occur mostly in the Irano-Turanian floristic region of Turkey (16-18). Abstract

Karyological studies on the annual members of the genus Carduus L. (Asteraceae, Cardueae) from Turkey

The somatic chromosome numbers and detailed morphometric properties of eight of the nine annual Turkish Carduus L. taxa were examined. The somatic chromosome numbers were 2n = 2x = 22 in C. rechingerianus Kazmi; 2n = 2x = 28 in C. argentatus L., C. acicularis Bertol. and C. pycnocephalus L. subsp. albidus (M. Bieb.) Kazmi; 2n = 2x = 34 in C. pycnocephalus subsp. arabicus (Jacq. ex Murray) Nyman and subsp. breviphyllarius P. H. Davis; 2n = 2x = 50 in C. nervosus K. Koch.; and 2n = 2x = 62 in C. pycnocephalus subsp. pycnocephalus. Karyotype analysis indicated that chromosomes of the Carduus taxa generally have centromere median region (m), submedian region (sm), and rarely median point (M) of the chromosome. A pair of satellite chromosomes (sat-chromosome) was observed in C. pycnocephalus subsp. breviphyllarius. The findings for each of the analysed taxa are compared with the results of previous studies. The chromosome number and morphology of C. nervosus, C. rechingerianus, C. argentatus, C. pycnocephalus subsp. arabicus and subsp. breviphyllarius are newly reported here.

Chromosome counts and karyotype analysis of some representatives of genus Cirsium Mill. (Asteraceae) in Turkey

Abstract The chromosome number and karyotype analysis of nine species (10 taxa) of genus Cirsium Mill. distributed in Turkey were analyzed. The somatic chromosome number of Cirsium sipyleum O. Schwarz, C. candelabrum Griseb., C. creticum d’Urv. subsp. creticum, C. elodes M. Bieb., C. subinerme Fisch. & C. A. Mey., C. leucopsis DC., C. libanoticum DC. subsp. arachnoideum P. H. Davis & Parris and C. arvense (L.) Scop. were determined as 2n=2x=34. Cirsium pubigerum DC. var. caniforme Petr. and var. paphlagonicum Petr. showed 2n=4x=68 chromosome numbers. The chromosomes of the examined taxa predominantly have median region (m) and rarely median point (M) and submedian region (sm) karyotypes. The chromosome number and morphology of Cirsium sipyleum, C. pubigerum var. paphlagonicum, C. leucopsis and C. libanoticum subsp. arachnoideum are newly reported in the present study.

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.

Comparative morphological, karyological and palynological investigations of three endemic Centaurea L. species (Asteraceae) in Turkey

Abstract Centaurea derderiifolia Wagenitz., Centaurea drabifolia Sm. subsp. floccosa (Boiss.) Wagenitz & Greuter and Centaurea kotschyi (Boiss. & Heldr.) Hayek var. floccosa (Boiss.) Wagenitz, which are endemic taxa from Turkey belonging to Centaurea sect. Cheirolepis, were subjected to morphological, karyological and palynological investigations. The somatic chromosome numbers, pollen morphology and detailed morphometric properties were examined. The somatic chromosome numbers were determined as 2n =2x = 36 in C. derderiifolia, C. kotschyi var. floccosa, and C. drabifolia subsp. floccosa. Karyotype analysis indicated that chromosomes of these Centaurea taxa generally have median region (m), submedian region (sm) and rarely median point (M) karyotypes. The pollen morphology of these endemic taxa of the genus Centaurea was investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy. The pollen grains of the examined species are mainly isopolar and radially symmetric, subprolate, tricolporate. Tectum ornamentation is scabrate and scabrate-perforate, amb triangular. The pollen grains of all taxa studied are 3-zonocolporate. The colpus is usually long, acute at ends and with smooth membrane. Pollen grains belonging to Cheirolepis section reveal homogeneity in their characters.