In this study, a total of 26 Crocus specimens from different locations across Turkey and 2 East Aegean islands (Chios and Samos) were analyzed using 12 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) primer combinations to obtain information on genetic diversity, population structure, and genetic relationships. A total of 369 polymorphic AFLP bands were generated and scored as binary data. Genetic similarities were determined. Cluster analysis revealed 4 major groups among the 26 genotypes examined in this study. The nuclear DNA contents (2C) of the 26 Crocus specimens were found to range from 5.08 pg in C. asumaniae to 9.75 pg in C. sativus. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values were used to examine the capacity of the various primer pairs to amplify polymorphisms in the Crocus specimens. The PIC values ranged from 0.218 (M-CAA/E-AGC) to 0.512 (M-CAT/E-AAG) and showed an average of 0.34. In sum, we herein used AFLP analysis to identify a high level of polymorphism among Crocus specimens collected from various locations in Turkey and Greece, and our structural analysis yielded 2 reconstructed populations. These findings provide new insight into the relationships among different Crocus genotypes and show that AFLP analysis can be useful for Crocus diversity studies.

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A new species, Crocus demirizianus O. Erol & L. Can is described and illustrated from northwestern Turkey. Crocus demirizianus was found in the Çanakkale province, near the district of Çan, and is undoubtedly related to the Crocus biflorus complex. However, the species differs from its relatives by typically sagittate anthers, and flowers without prominent stripes on outer segments. Diagnostic morphological characters are discussed and high resolution images are presented.

distributed from West Europe and Northwest Africa to West China, with the center of species diversity in the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey. Turkey is the richest country with 137 Crocus taxa (Harpke et al., 2012; Ruksans, 2017). Different conventional morphological features used in Crocus taxonomy with regards to possibly distinguishing monophyletic groups within the genus have been reported in the literature (Harpke et al., 2012, 2014; Carta et al., 2015), in which it was found that none of the traditional morphological features were suitable for discriminating Crocus sections or series. This status has caused some problems in their classification; therefore, additional characteristics that can assist the existing diagnostics are needed for the classification of Crocus taxa. Crocus seed color, structure, and surface sculpture are of much importance in terms of taxonomical applications (Maw, 1886). However, with the exception of a few studies (Kujat and Rafiński, 1978; Grilli Caiola et al., 2010; Carta et al., 2015), Crocus seed has not been a popular research subject. Mathew (1982) attributed this situation to the fact that the capsules and seeds of crocuses flowering in either autumn or spring reach maturity during April and May. According to our experiences from field observations, it is hard to find and collect capsules on the ground when vegetation is dense and tall. Therefore, Crocus seed studies require the cultivation of related taxa and capsule and seed harvesting should be done carefully. Seeds and fruits may possess various macro-and micromorphological structures that can provide valuable information for plant taxonomy. The shape, color, size, and especially microstructure (including anatomical features) of the seeds and fruits are valuable information for plant systematics (Kerndorff et al., 2015). There have been many plant epidermal surface analyses using scanning electron microscopes (SEMs). According to Barthlott (1981), surface characteristics can basically be divided into 4 main groups: 1) cellular arrangement, 2) shape of the cells, 3) relief of the outer cell walls, and 4) epicuticular secretions. These characteristics vary widely among species and at the family level, and are not easily affected by environmental conditions. Moreover, Kerndorff et al. (2015) stated that the microstructures of Crocus seed testae are very taxonomically valuable, and just this character alone can be adequate for a systematic grouping of the genus. In addition, the seed anatomical characters are generally as useful as the morphological characters for plant identification and are frequently used in the discrimination of closely related taxa (Karamian et al., 2012; Karaismailoğlu, 2015).

The apolar constituents of four Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) species were determined by GC-MS. Palmitic, linoleic, and oleic acids were detected as dominant components in all species. D. elegans d′Urv. var. elegans had the highest antioxidant activity. All four species also showed considerable antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis and C. albicans. Dianthus L. (Caryophyllaceae) is a genus of about 300 species in the world, distributed in the Mediterranean Region and in the Middle East [1]. In Turkey, 67 species are present, especially in Western Anatolia. Some Dianthus species are used in traditional medicine in addition to agricultural purposes [2-4]. According to the literature, they have antimicrobial [2], antihepatotoxic [4], analgesic [4], diuretic [5], and dermatologic [3] importance. The chemical constituents of this genus have generally been reported as triterpenoid saponins [4, 6], hydropyranes [7], and cyclic peptides [5]. Some GC-MS and LC-MS studies have determined that this genus consists of different types of terpenes [8], essential fatty acids [9, 10], and volatile compounds [11].In this study, we have determined the fatty acid components of the hexane extracts by GC-MS and investigated the antioxidant (by the DPPH method) and antimicrobial (by microdilution assay) activities of four Dianthus species, three of which are endemic to Turkey, for the first time.In this study, the apolar constituents of four Dianthus species were investigated using GC-MS for the first time. According to our results, the hexane extract yields were between 2.62% and 4.96% based on dry weight of the plant materials (Table 1). The highest percentage was detected in D. erinaceus var. erinaceus (4.96%). The total fatty acid components of hexane extracts varied from 95.23% to 98.48% (Table 2). The remainder of these percentages consisted mainly of phytol, eicosanol, and eicosane. The unsaturated fatty acid contents were higher than saturated ones, whereas some of the fatty acids were not observed in all species. In fact, all species contained unsaturated fatty acids, with a clear predominance of linoleic (LA) and oleic acids. One of the essential fatty acids (EFAs), LA, was a major component in all species, especially in D. elegans var. elegans with a component value of 51.98%. The other important essential fatty acid was present in the ratio 20:0, which was detected only in D. erinaceus var. erinaceus at 2.07%. Oleic acid was detected at high levels in all species as another unsaturated fatty acid. The highest oleic acid content was found in D. lydus at 48.54%. Palmitoleic acid was found only in D. lydus at 4.11%. In addition to these findings, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids were found in all plants at more than 14.0% as saturated fatty acids.