Centers of endemism and areas of endemism are important biogeographic concepts with high relevance for conservation and evolutionary biology. Turkey is located at the intersection of three global biodiversity hotspots (Mediterranean, Caucasian, Irano-Anatolian) and harbors remarkable levels of plant diversity and endemism. Nevertheless, hotspots of vascular plant endemics have never been identified using formal quantitative approaches in this diverse region. Here, using data on 1,102 endemic taxa of three species-rich families (Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Boraginaceae) we identified (i) centers of endemism based on three well-established indices (endemic richness, range-restricted endemic richness and weighted endemic richness) and (ii) areas of endemism using Endemicity Analysis. A total of 14 grid cells belonging to centers of endemism are identified as hotspots by at least one of the indices. Areas of endemism were identified in southwestern Turkey (West-Taurus), southern and central Anatolia (Anatolian Diagonal), in northeastern Turkey (Pontic-Ala), and in southeastern Turkey (Hakkari). All hotspots of plant endemism in Turkey included high mountains, which are severely threatened by anthropogenic activities. Although the identified centers of endemism cover only 16% of surface area of Turkey they harbor 59% of the endemic taxa, emphasizing their conservation priority. As the majority of the endemic taxa of Turkey are local endemics and narrowly distributed, protection of the identified hotspots would allow a high proportion of likely threatened species to be protected.

In Mediterranean fire-prone ecosystems, annual species specific to post-fire habitats should have a soil seed bank and should be able to germinate after a fire. Therefore, various fire-related cues can be expected to stimulate germination in post-fire annuals. Germination patterns of the rare annual Chaenorhinum rubrifolium (Plantaginaceae) were examined in response to mechanical scarification, heat shock, aqueous smoke, nitrogenous compounds, gibberellic acid, karrikinolide (KAR1), and mandelonitrile (a cyanohydrin analogue, MAN) under dark and photoperiod conditions in the laboratory. Combinations of these treatments were also included in the experiment. Strong physiological dormancy in the seeds of C. rubrifolium was partially broken by several fire-related germination cues, including smoke and nitrate, under light conditions. KAR1 and MAN also stimulated germination, and the highest improvement in germination was achieved in the KAR1 treatment in the presence of light. Heat shock + smoke and KAR1 + MAN combinations had positive synergetic and additive effects on germination under light conditions, respectively. The light played a crucial role in the promotion of germination. The results suggest that multiple fire-related cues operate to stimulate germination in C. rubrifolium, an annual species from the Mediterranean Basin. However, the species may have a broader germination niche than a fire-restricted one.

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T ürkiye'de doğal olarak yetişen Iberis cinsi ülkemizde 8 türle temsil edilmekte olup tek ve/veya çok yıllık otlar veya yarı çalılardan oluşmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'de yetişen Iberis taksonları anatomik olarak detaylı biçimde ilk defa çalışılmış ve bu sayede cinsle ilgili taksonomik belirsizlikler ve karmaşıklıklar çözülmeye çalışılmıştır. Iberis türlerinin kök, gövde, yaprak anatomileri çalışılmış ve stoma indeksi ortaya konmuştur. Bu çalışmada elde edilen sonuçlar, cinsin türleriyle ilgili şüpheli durumların çözümü için değerli kanıtlar sağlamaktadır. I. attica kanatlı gövde yapısına ve dallanmış tüylere sahip tek türdür. Endemik bir tür olan I. carica, gövde anatomisindeki devamlı vasküler kambiyum sayesinde iletim demeti halkası içeren tek türdür. I. sempervirens tüysüz ve yarı çalı formundaki tek türdür. I. odorata tek yıllıktır. Bilateral ve izolateral olmak üzere iki tip yaprak anatomisi görülmektedir. Türkiye'deki Iberis türleri amfistomatiktir. Brassicales ordosunun tipik özelliklerinden biri olan mirozin hücreleri incelenen tüm türlerde gözlenmiştir. Anatomik sonuçlar, I. attica ve I. spruneri türlerinin, I. carnosa olarak tek bir takson değil, ayrı türler olarak ele alınmasını desteklemektedir.

Alpine habitats are characterized by a high rate of range restricted species compared to those of lower elevations. This is also the case for the Irano-Anatolian global biodiversity hotspot in South-West Asia, which is a mountainous area harbouring a high amount of endemic species. Using two quantitative approaches, Endemicity Analysis and Network-Clustering, we want to identify areas of concordant species distribution patterns in the alpine zone of this region as well as to test the hypothesis that, given the high proportion of endemics among alpine species, delimitation of these areas is determined mainly by endemic alpine species, i.e., areas of concordant species distribution patterns are congruent with areas of endemism. Endemicity Analysis identified six areas of concordant species distribution patterns irrespective of dataset (total alpine species versus endemic alpine species), whereas the Network-Clustering approach identified five and four Bioregions from total alpine species and endemic alpine species, respectively. Most of these areas have been previously identified using the endemic flora of different elevational zones. The identified units using both methods and both datasets are strongly congruent, proposing that they reveal meaningful distribution patterns. Bioregionalization in the Irano-Anatolian biodiversity hotspot appears to be strongly influenced by the endemic alpine species, a pattern likely to hold in alpine regions outside the Irano-Anatolian hotspot.

The paper presents new records for 39 vascular plant species from eight Eurasian countries. Aniselytron treutleri (Poaceae), Hackelochloa granularis (Poaceae), Melica kozlovii (Poaceae) and Melica nutans (Poaceae) are reported from China; Dichondra micrantha (Convolvulaceae) from Hungary; Orobanche serbica (Orobanchaceae) and Viscum album subsp. austriacum (Santalaceae) from Italy; Petrorhagia prolifera (Caryophyllaceae), Puccinellia schischkinii and Stipa pulcherrima (Poaceae) from Kyrgyzstan; Megadenia speluncarum (Brassicaceae), Phelipanche lavandulacea (Orobanchaceae), Solanum physalifolium (Solanaceae), Thymus lenensis (Lamiaceae) from Russia; Rubus phoenicolasius (Rosaceae) from Slovakia; Atraphaxis karataviensis (Polygonaceae) from Tajikistan; as well as Rubus austroslovacus and R. crispomarginatus

Orobanche turcica (Orobanchaceae) is described as a new species from Turkey. The new species is a close relative of O. anatolica. Morphological differences of the new taxon from closely related species are discussed. A distribution map, illustration, as well as pollen and seed microphotographs of the species are provided.

B u çalışma ile Türkiye propolisi için bitkisel bir köken olan Castanea sativa'nın anatomik ve palinolojik karakterlerinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda, Castanea sativa bitkisinin yaprak ve gövde enine kesitleri incelenmiştir. Mikroskobik inceleme ile yaprak enine kesitinde palizat ve sünger parenkiması, üst ve alt epidermis, sklerenkima ve iletim demetleri gözlenmiştir. Gövde enine kesitinde ise periderm, sklerenkimatik doku, sekonder ksilem, sekonder floem, vaskular kambiyum ve parenkimatik öz gözlenmiştir. Palinolojik analiz ile polenin radyal simetrik, izopolar ve trikolporat olduğu belirtilmiştir. Mikroskobik analizlerin yanında, Castanea sativa propolisinin kimyasal içeriği gaz kromatografisi ve kütle spektrometresi (GC-MS) cihazı ile analiz edilmiştir. Propolisin etanol özütünün kimyasal analizi ile alkoller, aldehidler, alifatik asit ve esterleri, karboksilik asit ve esterleri, sinamik asit ve esterleri, flavonoidler, hidrokarbonlar ve ketonlar grubuna ait bileşikler tespit edilmiştir. "Benzoik asit" bileşiği %7.88'lik oranla özütte en yüksek miktarda bulunan bileşiktir. Bu çalışmanın anatomik, palinolojik ve kimyasal analiz sonuçları Türkiye arıcılığı ve arı ürünleri ile ilgili ileriki çalışmalara ışık tutacaktır.