No abstract

Nutlet and leaves micromorphology of 27 Teucrium taxa were examined using SEM. The significant variation was found on the nutlet surface ornamentation and indumentum and this is mainly useful at the sectional level. Besides, trichome micromorphology is crucial to distinguish of some species inside some sections. The epidermal features of the nutlets which are specific to each section were determined. There are eglandular and glandular trichomes on the leaves and the nutlets. The glandular trichomes have two types: clavate and subsessile. The clavate glandular trichomes consist of short and long clavate. The eglandular trichomes have two types: simple unbranched and simple branched trichomes. The simple unbranched trichomes are classified as thin-walled and thick walled. The indumentum type has high taxonomical value among the species. Furthermore, leaf and nutlet micromorphological features of T. chamaedrys subsp. lydium, T. chamaedrys subsp. tauricola, T. chamaedrys subsp. sinuatum, T. divaricatum subsp. graecum, T. flavum subsp. hellenicum, T. leucophyllum have been comparatively presented for the first time. The leaf features of T. aladagense, T. chamaedrys subsp. trapezunticum and nutlet features of T. divaricatum subsp. divaricatum are also reported in detail for the first time.

Teucrium L. belong to the Lamiaceae family is a well-known, wide-distributed and also one of the largest genus with more than 260 species distributed all around the world. (Kastner 1989; Abu-Assab and Cantino 1993). Mediterranean region, the center of diversity of the genus, has about 96% of all taxa (Cantino et al. 1992; Navarro and El Oualidi 2000).Teucrium species have been divided into ten sections all over the world regarding their calyx shapes and the inflorescence structures (McClintock and Epling 1946; Tutin and Wood 1972). These are the sections: sect.

No abstract

The potential applications of Achillea species in various industries have encouraged the examination of their phytochemical components along with their biological potential. In the present study, phenolic contents and essential oil compositions together with the in vitro biological activities of the aerial parts from Achillea biebersteinii Afan. and Achillea millefolium subsp. millefolium Afan. collected from Turkey were evaluated. Different solvent extracts (n-hexane, chloroform, methanol, water) were prepared and their antimicrobial, anticholinesterase, and antioxidant activities were studied. The LC-MS/MS results revealed the presence of 16 different phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercetin, and luteolin glycosides, in methanolic extracts. According to GC-FID and GC/MS results, the primary components of the oils were identified as 1,8-cineole (32.5%), piperitone (14.4%), and camphor (13.7%) in A. biebersteinii and 1,8-cineole (12.3%) and β-eudesmol (8.9%) in A. millefolium subsp. millefolium. The infusion and methanolic extracts of both species were found to be rich in their total phenolic content as well as their antioxidant and anticholinesterase activity. In contrast, the n-hexane and chloroform extracts of both species showed strong antimicrobial activity with MIC values ranging from 15 to 2000 μg/mL. Our findings suggest that the investigated Achillea species could be evaluated as potent natural agents, and further studies into the promising extracts are needed.

No abstract

Macro and micromorphology of cyathial glands, capsules and cauline leaf surfaces of 13 perennial species of Euphorbia L. subg. Esula Pers. sect. Pithyusa (Raf.) Lázaro in Turkey were studied. Cyathial gland structure, based on cyathial gland shapes, colour and appendages was examined from live material by direct field observations and investigations. Cauline leaves and capsule surface features were analysed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Capsule sizes, capsule shapes and capsule and cauline leaf surface ornamentations were also studied. The capsule shape was found to vary from subglobose to conical. In most species, cyathial gland colour ranged from greenish-yellow to yellowish-green but some species were distinguished by their reddish or purplish cyathial glands. Although the number of cyathial glands in all species was four, five cyathial glands were determined to exist in some specimens of E. pestalozzae Boiss. Three different cyathial gland shapes (elliptic, trapezoid-elliptic or elliptic-reniform) were observed. Capsule surface of more than half of the studied species (7 taxa) is covered with nipple-like projections (papillate-mammillate) and the rest are covered with tiny rounded or hillock-like ornamentation (colliculate). The cauline leaf surface is papillate-mammillate in the majority of the studied species, although, colliculate surface is also observed in two species (E. seguieriana Necker and E. thessala (Form.) Degen & Dörf.). In conlusion, macro and micromorphological structures of cyathial gland and capsule of Euphorbia sect. Pithyusa taxa appeared to be useful diagnostic characters for species identifications.

Teucrium alyssifolium Stapf (endemic), Teucrium pestalozzae Boiss. (endemic) and Teucrium brevifolium Schreb. are three closely related taxa in Teucrium sect. Teucrium. The obtained data from the anatomical studies revealed that these three taxa represent the general anatomical characteristics of the Lamiaceae family. Leaves, anatomical features such as thick cuticle, abundant trichomes, rich palisade parenchyma layer in the mesophyll provide evidence that these three species are xeromorphic structures. Leaf and stem anatomy showed that the taxa have generally similar anatomical features. However, cuticle layers, epidermis cells size, indumentum density, mesophyll types, palisade parenchyma occupied in the mesophyll, presence of spherocrystals in leaves and parenchyma, collenchyma and sclerenchyma layers in stems show differences amongst the taxa. Anatomical characters of leaf and stem of these taxa are examined for the first time in this study.